Finding the Medium
by Pieredae's Muse
Summary: One weekend can change the lives of many. Tea stands in for Mokuba's babysitter, but they all get more than they expected. Her family has a lot to teach Seto and Mokuba about love and friendship. SetoxTea AS OF 12/24/11 ABANDONED
1. Shortcutting the Selection Process

Greetings! This is Requiem for a Sunburst. This is one of my first two fics I'm uploading onto ever! Please enjoy Finding the Medium…

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Yu Gi Oh!

Finding the Medium

Ch. 1- Shortcutting the Selection Process

_Oh, crap, _Seto thought. This was not good. He was holding in his hand a resignation letter from Mokuba's babysitter. Due to heavy levels of stress and an ill family member, the sitter regretfully quit.

Double crap! He had an important business meeting in Tokyo this weekend- and he couldn't take Mokuba. He had to leave Friday afternoon- when Mokuba would be in school- and wouldn't be home till late Saturday night.

Why did she have to quit _this_ week? There was no way he could reschedule this meeting; his company needed this contract.

Seto looked at the calendar; it was Wednesday. It would take longer than three days to hire a new sitter. How was he going to find someone in time?

"Morning, big brother. What's wrong?" Mokuba walked into the dining room, still dressed in his pajamas. He'd obviously just got up.

Seto put down the paper and took a gulp of coffee. "Miss. Kimura quit."

"Oh," Mokuba sat down opposite him. "I never really liked her anyway. She was too strict."

Seto sighed in exasperation. "Even if you didn't like her, she was convenient. I have a business meeting this weekend and I needed her to stay with you. I don't know if I could find another one in time…"

Mokuba scowled for a moment, but then an idea hit him. "Hey Seto! Why don't you ask on of the girls at school? They are good babysitters and they're _fun_." He put emphasis on the last word. "You know, as a temporary replacement."

"That might work." Seto wasn't sure he liked the idea of asking a teenage girl to do him a favor, but it was a logical solution. "I'll look today at school for someone suitable."

"Seto…"

"Yes?"

"Make sure you like her."

_Great, more problems._

Roland appeared in the doorway. "The limo's ready whenever you are, Mr. Kaiba."

"Thanks, Roland. Well, have a good day at school, Mokuba."

"Bye, bro."

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School. What a waste of time, in Seto's opinion. But, he needed at least the high school diploma. And, as Mokuba put it, Seto needed time to be a teenager.

Yugi Mutou and the geek squad were among those who told him to lighten up. Seto told himself he didn't need to be normal, but deep down (miles), he wished sometimes he could be part of that carefree lifestyle. Of course, he wouldn't dare let anyone know that.

The limo pulled up to the school, pulling Seto out of his thoughts and back to the task at hand. How on Earth was he going to pick the right person? _Hey, it's not like I'm going to date her. Actually, it's more like finding Mokuba a date. If she is even a girl._ That thought didn't help him at all.

Getting out of the limo, he strode up the walkway to school. He noticed all the groups huddling outside the school. There were so many students out there. Maybe he should stick to his grade. That way he would have a better chance of knowing them.

"Kaiba-kun!" Seto didn't turn around, but merely sped up. He didn't feel like being mobbed by 'his' fan club.

_Okay, anyone part of those girls is automatically off the list. _

For the first time in his life, Seto was generally interested in his schoolmates. He kept turning his head, catching glances of people; remembering things about them he hadn't thought worth remembering but had. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't pay attention to where he was walking.

Suddenly he felt his bag fall out of his hands as he hit someone. _"_Umph!" He looked down. Yugi Mutou lay sprawled at his feet.

"Oh, sorry Yugi." Yugi's eyes widened. Was Kaiba actually apologizing? He was actually giving him a hand up. "Thanks, Kaiba. Just watch where you're going." Actually, Kaiba looked sort of spaced out.

Seto shook his head to clear his thoughts and started to walk, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Yugi! I saw you fall. Are you okay?" It was Tea Gardner. Seto turned around.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Tea." _Just a bit weirded out, _thought Yugi.

Tea looked at Seto, who was looking at her almost appraisingly. _Gardner could do it,_ he thought. _She's caring, and…no. She's part of the geek squad. I don't need Yugi's cheerleader preaching friendship speeches to Mokuba._

"What are you looking at, Kaiba?" snapped Tea.

"Oh. Nothing." Seto turned around and walked off.

"He's acting odd today," remarked Yugi.

Tea gazed after him. "Yeah…"

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Throughout the day, Seto kept his eyes out for potential candidates. Truth be told, he was rather disappointed. Mokuba's idea had seemed a good one at the time, but now he wasn't so sure.

It seemed half of the students he didn't know, and the other half he didn't want anywhere near Mokuba. He didn't need another Mutt in his life.

At lunch, he didn't even check his stocks as he usually did. Instead, his gaze roved from table to table, seeking out the individual who would catch his eye. He moved over the "popular" tables, and where his fan club sat. He didn't want any of them within a mile radius of the mansion, let alone in it.

Some girls that he knew only by reputation (a good one that is) proved they could be worthy, but he didn't know them. Heaven help him he was getting picky, but he at least wanted to be acquainted with the girl.

By mid-afternoon, Seto was getting frustrated. He was in his last class of the day, Advanced Literature, and totally zoned out. He hadn't found anyone he was willing to ask personally to be a babysitter. His gaze wandered over the class again…Gardner was speaking. Gardner was in this class? He'd never noticed that before…

"Mr. Kaiba!" The teacher, Ms. Sakaki was leaning against her desk, her eyes narrowed. "Can you tell me what Miss. Gardner just said about 19th century writers?"

Gardner. She was smart. She was kind and encouraging. She had an intensity and energy. She was perfect. He hated admitting that, but she seemed the best for the job.

"Mr. Kaiba!"

"Oh, sorry. No, I didn't hear…" Lord, was he sounding flustered? How embarrassing. Ms. Sakaki apparently thought so, too. "See me after class, Mr. Kaiba."

After listening for five minutes of lecturing, Seto managed to escape the classroom. He scanned the locker hall for Gardner, and caught sight of her head near the doors. He didn't exactly run, but ended up next to her slightly out of breath.

"Gardner. Could I talk to you?" Good, he could still sound business like. Her eyes widened; then narrowed. "I can't give you notes."

"I don't need them. I just spent five minutes getting them." His meaning behind the words didn't escape her; a small smirk played around her lips.

"Actually, I was wondering if you were free this weekend." Her smirk grew. "I'm not interested in dating now, thanks." Was he really sounding this bad?

"No, it's not that. You see, I have a business meeting, and Mokuba…" He explained in a rush about the situation. When he was done, he gave her a moment to process the information. "So. You want me to do you a favor by watching Mokuba Friday and Saturday? Well…" _I could definitely use the money. This would probably cover dance lessons for a month! I might as well take it, since I have to cover my own costs. It's not as if he'll be around. Oh, heck with it. _"I'll check with my mom tonight. I'm pretty sure I can do it. I'll let you know tomorrow."

He let out a huge sigh of relief. "That's great! I mean," he added hastily. "I'll expect your answer tomorrow morning."

She smiled. "You actually are human." He looked at her blankly. "That's the first normal emotion I've seen out of you when dealing with another person in a long time."

"Careful," he warned. "You haven't got the job yet."

Her eyes glinted mischievously. "I'm assuming that you would only ask me if there was no one else suitable." Ouch. She'd hit right on. Better to avoid the topic than risk any other darts.

"Tomorrow, then." She nodded briskly, and started to walk out the door.

"Wait! Kaiba." He turned around to see an almost embarrassed look on her face. "Yes?"

"You do pay well, right?" Seto raised an eyebrow. "Who do you think I am?"

With that he turned and walked back to his locker.

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Well, what do you think? I hope you liked it! Please read and review…I'll really appreciate it! Signing off…Requiem for a Sunburst


	2. Rules and Regulations

Hi everyone! Hope you didn't mind the wait. I just finished chapter 3 so I can update this chapter! It's a new semester so I should have more time to write…alas I have a ton of music gigs/events going on but I promise to find time to write in between! In the meantime, please enjoy chapter two of Finding the Medium! Disclaimer: Though I love the show, I cannot say I own Yu Gi Oh.

Ch. 2- Rules and Regulations

"I knew you would find someone good!" Mokuba yelled when Seto told him the…er…good…news. Tea seemed a big hit with his little brother. After all, she had saved his life in Battle City.

"She hasn't said yes yet." Seto reminded his brother. He got a "So?" in return. In truth, Mokuba probably wouldn't settle for anyone else if Tea didn't do it.

Seto was relieved by the whole thing. Finding a suitable high scholar without professional references was something he didn't want to repeat, ever. It actually seemed kind of humiliating that he had to ask Tea. However, he didn't expect having to hire a teenager ever again. _It's a one time deal;_ he reminded himself; and Mokuba, later.

If only he could see into the future…

Tea Gardner couldn't believe it when Seto Kaiba asked her for a job. That had had the odds of one-in-a million, but it had happened. Her friends should have guaranteed an immediate rejection, but perhaps Kaiba was finally willing to overlook a few things.

She wasn't accepting the job just because it was Kaiba. In fact, she should be refusing the job _because_ it was Kaiba. He had seemed a bit ashamed to be "stooping so low." That made her grin.

However, Mokuba was a sweet kid. He never seemed to mind being around the gang unlike his brother, and was friendly to them all. He was also completely loyal to his brother, and looked up to him like a father. But like most all employees, the real reason she was accepting was of course, money.

Tea wasn't dirt poor, but it was just her and her mother right now. Her mom was an artist, and often worked another job, so there was just enough money to scrape a living. It had been her dream since she was little to dance, and she had always wanted to take lessons. When she was in junior high, her mom said they'd split the cost of lessons. Until a year ago, that's all she had to cover. Then they ran into some trouble and she was given the choice to drop lessons or cover them herself. It was an obvious choice.

She couldn't work at Burger World forever. It would get out eventually she wasn't 18, so she started working there less and less. Then her dance teacher told her she had great potential, and started dancing more and more. That's where the problem started.

In a way Kaiba had been a miracle. She now had a good job and it was sure to pay well. If she charged her usual rates…she could earn $150 for this job. Jackpot!

That morning she told Yugi, Joey, and Tristan she couldn't walk with them to school. She dashed off early to meet Kaiba. If she could get everything done before the guys got to school, they wouldn't have to know about Kaiba. Which was the obvious intent of both of them.

Panting a little as she reached the school, she pulled out her skirt. She hated the short thing. It was a good thing she had a quick fist and shorts underneath. Did that sum up the situation?

She decided to wait against the chain link fence for Kaiba. It was an inconspicuous location and out of range for prying eyes. She didn't need Kaiba's fan club (had she mentioned how much she loathed them?) crashing their rendezvous. Tea wondered when he was going to show up.

She didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes later, she was greeted with a cold, "Gardner."

Tea looked up at the boy's tall frame and nodded. "Kaiba." Had she ever noticed how slender he was?

"So can you do it?" Inwardly she was laughing at the question. That was probably the most childish he had sounded in a business interview, though he was as cool as an icicle. His eyes narrowed; he'd obviously read her face.

"Yeah. No problem being there."

Seto relaxed. "Good." There it was again. He was sure she was laughing at him for some reason. How much had he underestimated the girl? However, she was an employee now; time to treat her like one. "I have some paperwork for you to fill out," he said crisply.

She nodded. "Should I do it right here?"

He almost shrugged. "Might as well. Here." Seto dug into his bag and pulled out a large envelope. She reached for it, and pulled out a sheet or two of paper. _Employee Contract _graced the top of the paper.

Tea scanned the document quickly. "Rules and Regulations?" She said questioningly. "No extra sugar? No staying up past 9:30? Why those rules?"

For the first time that day, Seto smirked. However, it had been accompanied by a miniscule shudder. "Trust me. You don't want to see Mokuba sugar high."

Tea laughed. "I see. No sugar." She read through the rest of the contract, pulled out a blue pen and signed her name. It wasn't a fancy signature; without flourishes or stuff. Practical, like her.

Seto took the document back from her and stored it in his bag. Next business: "Tomorrow, bring your things to school. After school meet me a block from the school at 2:10. I'll take you home and then you can go pick up Mokuba. He gets out of school at 3:30."

"Okay. I guess it's still not good to associate with me." There was a pause. Tea felt her words had been true; and would only drive herself into a rut. Better to change the subject.

"Is there anything I should bring besides…my 'things'?" Clothes would probably have been undignified to say.

Seto looked at her curiously. "For what?"

"You know; have some fun with Mokuba!" Tea sounded incredulous. It sounded as though he'd never played with Mokuba; which he probably hadn't in a long time, or his previous babysitters must have been boring.

He looked over her for a moment, as if seeing her with new eyes. She actually cared about Mokuba's welfare. "You may do, Gardner." He commented quietly.

Surprised, Tea glanced up. Was he complimenting her? She probably would never know.

There was quiet for a moment. Neither was sure what to say. Even, Kaiba, who could always come up with something insulting to say, could not think of anything. In short, he couldn't think of anything to insult her with.

Finally the silence was broken when Tea spotted Yugi coming through the school's gate. "There's Yugi." Seto's head shot up quickly. "I'd better go." He nodded. "Don't forget. Tomorrow."

Tea rolled her eyes. "How could I? It's in writing now." A tiny smile flitted across his face. It was gone just as quick. Tea started to walk away, but stopped. She turned around, with a pained look on her face. "Kaiba?"

"What?"

"Do I have to call you…_sir?_" The word was said with such distaste Kaiba had to smile again. It was turned into a smirk though for better effect. This was amusing in a way. "Better get started, Gardner."

Tea watched him stride off the opposite way. She had been about to snap a biting comment back at him but closed her mouth. A frown creased her forehead. There had been something behind that comment…something amusing…he couldn't have been teasing, could he?

She shrugged. He was Kaiba. She'd never know. Spinning around again, she ran off, calling a greeting to Yugi.

Nothing else exciting really happened that day, except for Joey's antics. But they were pretty regular. However, Tea had to start making excuses for missing Friday and Saturday get-togethers. Yugi was curious at first, but seemed okay after Tea explained she was babysitting a kid while his family was out of town. It had been reached by mutual agreement that Tea would not disclose who she was working for. Seto; because he didn't want everyone knowing she was working for him, and Tea; because the gang would freak.

Yugi would have been shocked, but have come to terms with it pretty quick. But Joey…he made clear his dislike for Kaiba. And Tristan and Mai didn't think much of him either. No, it would be best if Tea didn't tell them.

Friday dawned bright and early (well, the days weren't too short yet). Tea woke up to her blaring alarm clock and groggily slammed it off. Pulling herself out of bed, she got a soothing, hot shower and got dressed. She pulled on her uniform with a look of dislike. No matter how many times she'd have to wear it, she'd never get over its shortness and tightness. Give her warm-ups any day. She loved the freedom to move.

Remembering her extra clothes, she packed two days worth and all the necessary accessories. Packing everything in her duffel bag, she headed down and tossed it by the door. A bowl of cereal lay out for her. _Good old Mom. _Wolfing that down, she yelled a goodbye for her mom and ran off to meet Yugi at the game shop. They'd walk together to school.

"Hey Tea!" Yugi said excitedly as Tea jogged up to the shop. There was a faint glow in his cheeks that he always got around her.

"Hi Yugi!" They started walking towards the school. On the way they were chatting about a variety of topics when Yugi brought up the dreaded question:

"Tea. Who are you babysitting for, anyway?"

Inwardly, she panicked. She hadn't come up with an answer yet, thinking that her friends would be content just knowing she had a job. But with an overnight job, it was a little suspicious. "Well…he's a little boy whose parents have to go out of town for a business trip…look! There's Joey and Tristan!" Tea tried to mask the relief that spread over her face at the sight of her two friends. _Saved by the guys. Phew. _

"Tea! Yugi!" Joey yelled as he and Tristan walked up to them. "Guess what? Serenity's coming next weekend!" Joe was elated; there was a big grin on his face. He hardly got to see his sister, so these trips meant the world to him.

"That's awesome, Joey!" Yugi said.

"Yeah," Tristan said with a dreamy look on his face. _Wham!_ "Dude, man; why'd you have to hit me that hard?"

Joey snorted. "I don't want ya trying anything funny with my sister, ya hear me?"

"But Duke's not here; here's my chance!" Tea laughed at the guys. "You're out of luck, Tristan. Duke's flying in next week. He's got a meeting for Dungeon Dice."

The look of outrage on Tristan's face was enough to send everybody laughing again. However, everyone just laughed harder as the _Crap! I've got two lunatics after my sister now_ look flashed across Joey's face.

When they'd all stopped laughing, Joey got a great idea. "Hey! Let's get together and go someplace special with Serenity! She'd love ta spend time with everybody. She's flying in next Friday. How about we do something special Saturday?"

The group quickly agreed. Serenity's visits were always a special thing for everybody. The rest of the trip to school passed quickly and was full of laughter and chatting. Tea wished she would be able to get together with everybody that evening. However in her heart she knew she had to do her job. Dancing meant so much to her. It was her dream to go to Julliard and be a professional dancer. But unlike in dreams, money was the reality here.

_This could be the breakthrough I've been looking for, _she thought.

School went through normal just as usual. When the bell rang, Tea quickly gathered her things and headed to her locker. Saying her good-byes to the gang, she grabbed her bag and left the building. Knowing she had to miss the regular traffic of students leaving the building, she ran ahead to the place that she'd agreed to meet Kaiba and sat there waiting.

She didn't have to wait long. The smooth black limo rolled up to the corner where she stood and stopped. The driver (Roland, of course) stepped out and opened up the side door. Tea murmured her thanks; said a quick prayer, and stooped into the limo.

"You're late, Gardner." A cold voice met her as she sat in the chair. Tea turned to look at an "untouchable" (as the girls liked to say) Seto. He hadn't changed yet out of his school clothes. _He must be uncomfortable like that._ Out loud she said, "Excuse me? I was here before you."

A smirk pulled on Seto's face. "It's 2:11. I think that counts as late."

"Then it's your fault I'm late," Tea retorted. Too late, she remembered that he was her boss. The raised eyebrow and the intensified smirk were testimony as she hung her head, embarrassed. Well, not completely embarrassed, but wary of her boss.

Seto was rather enjoying baiting Tea. She surprisingly had a fire in her that he'd seen once before: on the battlements of Duelist Kingdom. Of course, there were always others to toy with, but she was actually intelligent enough to spar with him. _And she has no fear in opening her mouth. Well, neither does the mutt, but she actually can bite. I'll have to keep an eye on her. I don't want Mokuba getting too…Gardnerish. Where the heck did that come from?_

Tea noticed the executive had sunk into his own thoughts. His eyes had a far off look to them, like bottomless seas of blue. His bangs had flopped into his eyes but they didn't take away from his appearance. In fact, they gave him a mysterious flair…even sexy.

Suddenly she felt his eyes on her. One eyebrow was up; she'd been caught staring. The heat rushed up her cheeks and she quickly tossed her head. To stall for time she asked, "Aren't they uncomfortable?"

Seto's voice was deep with amusement. "What are uncomfortable?"

"Your clothes."

His voice lilted a bit; it was almost enchanting when he wasn't spouting off about how great he and his company were. "Not anymore than yours."

Tea rolled her eyes. "Don't even get me started," she returned. "But we have it worse. Stupid pervs."

Humor rolled across Seto's face again. She was fun to watch…not just for her reactions…_stop that. What do you think you're doing? Don't even go there. _Once he had squelched that abnormal thought he resumed his blank expression.

Tea saw him snap out and sighed.

"_What?" _The question was out so fast it made her jump a bit. Smoothing down her skirt, she turned away from Seto.

"Don't you ever talk?"

"I'd better be able to."

Tea rolled her eyes again. She was getting tired of his smart-mouth answers. "That's not what I meant."

Seto sighed inwardly. Why did she always get to such personal questions? Soon she'd be spouting off her lecture on the power of Friendship. Maybe if he pointed the question in a different direction…

"There's no point."

"In talking?" Tea was puzzled a bit. "But it's better than being alone."

"When you've been alone as long as I have, you tend to enjoy your own company."

"What about Mokuba?" _I know that's not true. Everybody needs some solitude at times, but wouldn't we go mad without talking to people?_

"He's…different."

They lapsed into silence again, but this time they were both in their own little worlds. After what seemed ages the limo pulled up at the Kaiba's mansion. It was the first time Tea had seen it.

_Wow. He lives here? It's not that hard to believe, _she thought with a tiny bit of humor.

Seto got out of the car and motioned for Tea to follow. "Stop gawking, Gardner," he smirked. She blushed again and got in step behind him. He went up the steps to the door, and punched a coded pad by the entryway. The door automatically unlocked. Seto opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

_Oh my gosh. I can't believe it…_

The doorway opened up into a two-story entrance hall. A grand staircase presided up the middle to the second story, elegantly twisting up. The two ends of the barristers had been shaped like Blue-Eyes White Dragons, of course. Typical of Seto, one day he decided to spiff (not that _he _ever used that word) up the place, and made the entire mansion a Blue-Eyes theme.

However it wasn't extravagantly done, either. Simple, but elegant. Tea decided she liked it. _Do they use all the rooms in here? _She doubted it. While she was gazing around in wonder, Seto started climbing the staircase.

"Your bedroom will be up here, Gardner. Unless you'd like to camp out right there…" He smirked, for the umpteenth time that day.

It only guaranteed him a slight scowl, for Tea was still looking around in rapture. "This place…it's wonderful," she breathed.

Seto was a little taken aback by the awe in her tone, but there was an artist's appreciation in the critique also. It was a compliment rarely given to that extreme.

"Thank you." He had been caught off guard and let that slip out. He'd take better care for it not to happen again.

He started climbing again. At the top of the staircase, he motioned down a hallway for Tea.

"The guest bedrooms are down that hall. Pick anyone you like. Not that there ever used, but I like to be prepared…" He turned in the opposite direction, but then stopped. "Don't wander off unless Mokuba or I am with you. It's big enough you could get lost in it."

"You betcha," Tea replied. She started looking into the rooms. Each was beautiful in its own way. Tea wandered into each room, gazing around. She wasn't used to this entire splendor. At home, the only thing grand about it was her mother's artwork.

In the end, Tea chose the last room she came to. It was the simplest of all, but it appealed to her. The walls were a soft cream color with a blue Queen-sized bed. A drawer and desk stood against the walls, and there was a window looking out over the back of the mansion. Her favorite thing in the room was a painting of a pond in the winter with a bunch of ice skaters on it.

She flopped onto the bed and dumped her bag next to her. It rattled a bit, because she'd packed some things she hadn't played with in ages for Mokuba. She decided she'd change into the clothes she'd brought: a pair of shorts, her white jacket and a shirt.

Not long after she'd changed she heard a rap at the door. She opened it to find Seto, complete in white trenchcoat and everything else black and carrying a briefcase. He ran his eyes over her once. She looked the same as she had in California, but there was something different this time. He wasn't sure what.

"Are you ready, Gardner?" It didn't matter because he had to leave anyway. But he preferred not to leave her alone in his home. Not that he didn't trust her…_but he didn't, _he reminded himself. She was one of Yugi's gang. _But Yugi isn't that bad either. _

He was thankful that Tea got up from the bed and walked out the door. She followed him out, down the stairs to the entryway. Two limos waited outside; Roland and another driver, presumably Mokuba's next to them. Seto motioned to the extra. "You'll take that one to pick up Mokuba. Have him call me when you get home, okay? We didn't get much of a chance to talk this morning." Why did he just say that?

But Tea just smiled. "I understand. And no sugar," laughing, she walked down to the other limo. Seto watched her go. _She really is a bright spot in this world_. He'd never admit it because it would destroy his image, but he was glad she was watching his brother. Now, to business…

He walked down to his limo and climbed in. His parting thought to Tea (given telepathically, of course) was _good luck. _Hopefully, she had Yugi's gift for good luck. But then again, you make your own luck. Tea would be fine.

With that last obscure thought he switched channels to his company. _Business calls. _

Well that's the end of chapter two! Hope you enjoyed it! Please review- I love getting reviews. Chapter three will not be posted for a while, sad to say. (You can refer to my policy- I might relent if time prevents) I will be working on Chapter 3 of the Importance of Family and hopefully soon update chapter two. Be patient! Happy end of January! Cheers; Requiem for a Sunburst


	3. Reminisces

Note: Well I'm finally posting this chapter! I'm also officially abolishing my policy for reasons stated at the end of this chapter. I'd like to thank all my wonderful reviewers (and readers who don't review) and wish I could reply to all of them (I don't know if I'm allowed to or not). A quick sub note: this chapter features mostly Tea and Mokuba; but Seto should return in a chapter or two. Please forgive me if Mokuba gets to OC; not intentional except for the plot's purposes. Anyway, please enjoy!

Neither do I own Yu Gi Oh or Treasure Island

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Chapter 3- Reminisces

"TEA!" Mokuba yelled as he jogged up to the limo. Tea was leaning against the limo outside of the school. Mokuba was wearing navy blue pants and a white shirt. All in all, a cute, devious boy that would make anyone want to do anything for him and/or suffer the consequences.

"Mokuba! How are you doing?"

He trotted up to her with a big grin. "I'm good. School was boring for the most part." He rolled his eyes. Clearly he'd rather be somewhere else. "But Science was interesting."

"Science usually is," Tea agreed. "You all ready to go?"

"Yeah! Do you have anything planned? Because I want to play video games! And other things," he added. "Usually my other babysitters would just make me do homework and boring stuff."

Tea smiled. "Well, why don't we get the homework done tonight. Uh-uh-uh," she shook her head as Mokuba began to protest. "There are a couple of reasons. First, we'll do it tonight so that we can play this afternoon. Secondly, you won't have to worry about getting it done the rest of the weekend. Thirdly, you'll have all the time to spend in the world with Kaiba when he gets home. Get it?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I guess. So what are we going to do? Besides, homework, that is." He added with a little more enthusiasm.

Tea smirked. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."

"Awww, why?" He started to pull the puppy eyes on her. She started to crack up. "What would be the fun then? But I'll give you a hint," she relented. "You'll probably not do this for a while after I'm gone."

Mokuba frowned. "Does that mean I won't want to do it or I won't get to?"

"Probably the latter."

"Woo-who!" Tea couldn't help enjoy the boy's enthusiasm. _He probably doesn't get to do much fun stuff when his brother isn't around… I wonder what Kaiba does for fun? Probably not much. _

They got into the limo and Mokuba stretched out in the back. "This is so much better than my desk at school." He started to close his eyes, but Tea prodded him in the side.

"Don't forget; you're supposed to call your brother."

"Alright," with that, Mokuba whipped out a cell phone and turned it on. The roar of Blue-Eyes sounded as the phone whirred to life. Mokuba quickly dialed (speed-dial of course) his brother's cell.

* * *

Seto heard his phone ringing from his trenchcoat. He dug into a pocket and pulled it out. Flipping it open, a softer expression came onto his face as he saw who was calling.

"Hey, Mokuba."

"HI SETO!"

"Mokuba, not so loud! It would make the company look bad if I was deaf."

"Sorry, bro!"

"That's more manageable."

"How are things going, Seto?"

"Slow. We're in rush hour right now. You'd think everyone would be in a rush to get home and would go faster." Of course, he knew that was one-sided logic and that it really would be the opposite. "How was school?"

"Typical."

Seto knew his brother's feelings about school. They reflected his own. "Spoken like a true Kaiba."

There was a snort from the other end of the line. Seto's eyes narrowed. "I heard that, Gardner. Mokuba, stop putting me on speakerphone."

"But I thought it would be interesting for Tea to hear what you're really like."

"Not much difference, I would say." Tea called out over to the phone.

"The pot calls the kettle black, Gardner."

"Since when did you know anything about me?"

"Since I just hacked into the government's personal profile on you."

"WHAT!"

"Relax, Gardner."

On the other side of the line, Tea did visibly relax. But his comment…had he just made a joke?

Meanwhile, Seto asked Mokuba what he planned to do this weekend. "Well, we're going to do our homework so we have plenty of free time, first. And lots of video games! And Tea's planned some things but she won't tell me. They're surprises."

"Gardner!"

"Yes, Kaiba?"

"What are you planning to do to my brother?" There was a dangerous hint to Seto's tone.

"Nothing a few Band-Aids won't fix."

"WHAT!" Seto's eyes widened as the sounds of two combined voices laughing rang through his phone. Then they narrowed. "Gardner, if anything happens to my brother I swear not only will I personally see you tortured and most likely killed, I'll sue your family out of their home for breaking your contract."

"Relax, Kaiba. I was kidding."

"I wasn't."

"I had the feeling you weren't." Actually, Tea was a little shaken by the icy, emotionless tone that Kaiba displayed his threats in. He really did put his brother above all things else. Not that she hadn't already seen that, such as in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City; but it was almost…_reassuring?_ to hear such concern for a sibling. Or maybe he was just a psycho-maniac waiting to happen. Probably the latter.

Tea decided to stay out of the conversation at the point. As it was, nothing else happened, no battles of wits or anything. Mokuba and Seto said their good-byes. When they got off the phone, Mokuba looked sad and worried.

"Cheer up! Your brother will be home tomorrow in the same condition he left you in. He's like a robot, always on automatic."

Mokuba managed a weak smile.

"I just miss him a lot. He's always going off on business trips or meetings and almost never has time for me. I know that he has to, it's how we get by, and that as the president he has to be there for his company. But I just worry that he's not going to come back. I need him more than anything." he hung his head in shame.

Tea's eyes softened. "You're really strong, you know that?" Mokuba raised his head, his eyebrows up in confusion; the mirror image of someone else she knew.

"You have the up-most faith in your brother, even when he's a total jerk to the rest of us. That's because you and him only have each other and care for each other so much. What makes you strong is that you don't let him know he worries you. But you also have to let him know. Gosh, I'm not making any sense, am I? I guess what I mean is that you have the strength to worry about a loved one and not cause them worry about that. You have the strength to let him go and worry about him, but you also have the faith in your brother that no matter where you are, he'll always find a way back to you. Sometimes you may be separated, but as long as you have the faith that you'll see each other again, you have strength. But you also need to let him know when you need some time together. If he loves you so much, he'll find time for you."

Mokuba nodded, and smiled. Straightening his back and squaring his shoulders, he tried to look ferocious. "I'll be strong."

Tea had to laugh at his expression. "Of course you will be."

* * *

Mokuba was a fast worker, so his homework got done rather quickly. It helped that Tea had cooked up a pretty nifty snack (no sugar, according to contract) and that she was rather good at schoolwork as well. At 5:00 they started to play some video games. Tea wasn't the greatest at some of these; but she was a quick learner. They had finished their fifth race when Mokuba's stomach growled.

"Shall we go get something to eat?" Tea suggested. Mokuba agreed quickly and they made the twists and turns through the mansion to the kitchen. The cook had concocted up stir-fry that night. It was really good; Tea hadn't tasted stir-fry for a long time. Actually…but it was best to forget that stir-fry had been his favorite meal…better to enjoy the food right now.

After dinner, there wasn't that much light out left, so Tea and Mokuba went back to games. Tea happened to be a whiz for card games so they spent a lot of time playing cards and telling funny stories. Tea told Mokuba about the time Yugi had got stuck up in a tree (they were ten back then) and they had to call the fire department.

"Both Mr. Mutou and I were too short!" Tea said, laughing. Mokuba also had his own stories to tell. Tea completely enjoyed those…in short; they were blackmail materials.

"Seto really isn't that bad; he just works so hard. He's actually really cool! Like one time when we had chocolate cake- it was really rich, so both of us were kind of hyper-"

"Kaiba actually was hyper?" Tea burst out incredulously.

"I don't know…he just loosened up a bit- he's got a funny sense of humor. Anyway, this was like a year and a half ago, so after the major tournaments. We each had like three pieces of cake. They were really good! Our housekeeper is sorta older, but she's a real stickler for cleanliness. Even more than Seto, surprisingly. But Seto was taking chemistry then, so he had learned about some chemical reactions…"

"Oh lord; I know where this is going!" Tea groaned.

"So we took some vinegar and baking soda for one experiment, and I can't remember what we did for the other…but anyway we poured vinegar into one of the huge vases in the front hallway. Lots of it. Then we replaced the cleansing powder the maids use for cleaning with baking soda. Strong baking soda."

Tea started to grin. She definitely knew what was going to happen. "Oh the poor maid!"

Mokuba was laughing. "Yeah! And so, the next day, when the maid came around to clean the hallway I happened to walk in. I remembered what happened last night and I ordered the maid in my best bossy tone to make sure she cleaned that vase extra well especially on the inside.

Then I hid around the corner and watched as the vase overflowed with the foam….it was definitely a small eruption! The maid shrieked, bringing everyone running; even Seto. And when he saw what had happened he had to run back to his office to hold back his laughter! Of course he had to act professional around everyone else, but it was so funny when the two of us were together!"

"Didn't anyone figure out who did it?" Tea asked, wiping her eyes.

"The housekeeper did! Boy was she mad. She came storming up to Seto asking how he was ever going to control me (and himself) and grow up! The only reason she wasn't fired then was because Seto was still laughing over the incident. Well and the incident the night before. She wasn't too happy about that either."

"Do I want to know?"

"Well it _did _involve matches…all I remember is that we caught the rug on fire."

"Mokuba!"

"Yeah, yeah I know. Who would think the Kaiba brothers would do such a thing? I doubt Seto would do that again…he never gets sugar-high now."

"And with good reason," Tea remarked. No wonder he didn't want Mokuba having sugar…and she hadn't heard about Mokuba's exploits yet!

After that she and Mokuba played pool. It was a game she hadn't played often and nearly was creamed except for one shot in which she lined the cue ball against the 8 near the wall. It took Mokuba a couple shots to get out of that jam. He still beat her in the end.

"This is one of the few games I can beat Seto at," Mokuba commented as he knocked the last ball in for the win.

"I can tell why. When did you start playing pool?"

"Some kids I used to hang out with played pool all the time. I wanted to spend more time with them but I always lost at it until I talked Seto into buying one of these. I practiced everyday so that I could beat them and one day I finally did! Of course after that they didn't hang around with me much after…"

"Don't you ever get lonely?" Tea asked softly. How could he talk so casually about friends leaving him?

Mokuba turned toward her. His large eyes were open and his gaze direct. Another thing he shared with his brother. "Yeah; I guess. For a while I would just comfort myself with everything we had, but eventually the pain would break through all my walls. When I was younger I would be really upset but Seto just told me to face it like a man. It helped; but I guess that was about the time Seto started to become obsessed with power. After that I started hanging out with the wrong people- but you know the rest of the story. I think that when Yugi saved my brother; he saved me also. He brought us back together."

Tea smiled fondly at the thought of her spiky-haired friend. "He does have a way of doing that."

"Do you want another go? Or we could come back to this later…now that you're warmed up you should be a bit more of a challenge." Mokuba smirked. Tea recognized a teasing look in his eyes though.

"Nah. Maybe tomorrow? I better save myself so I can inflict some real damage." They both laughed. "Well, what do you want to do now?"

"Why don't you choose, Tea?"

"It's your house, though." In reality, Tea didn't have any idea of what they could do. The mansion was too big for her to have an idea. As if sensing her thoughts, Mokuba's eyes lit up.

"I know! Why don't we explore the mansion?" His enthusiasm was catching.

"You mean you don't know what some parts are like?" Tea asked incredulously.

"Well, some of the rooms we don't use; hardly anything on the third floor. There's supposed to be an attic you can walk around in- but I've never been there!"

"Preoccupied by video games?" Tea teased.

"Well….yeah! And the fact we sometimes live in the suites at Kaiba Corp. Anyway, I can show you those parts of the mansion- and tomorrow I can show you the grounds!"

"Well, alright." She was actually very curious in what lay in store for them. Being an only child, she didn't get time to have adventures like these. Usually she and the gang were off helping save the world. She rather liked scampering around with a little boy.

"Let's go then!" With that, Mokuba abandoned the pool table and had grabbed Tea's hand, dragging her out of the room. He was so excited to have somebody to be with that was actually fun! _I should try and convince Seto to let Tea stay over lots of times! _With Seto at work all the time, he needed to be with someone. Not a nanny or babysitter; but a real friend.

Mokuba pulled them to the staircase. Climbing on the banister, he slid down the rest of the way. Tea stood hesitantly at the top of the staircase. She wasn't sure if she should follow suit or just walk down.

"Come on, Tea! It's fun!"

_Oh all right_. _But I'd better not fall. _With a quick prayer she hopped on the banister and pushed off. The wind rushed by as she slid down, accompanied by an elated feeling like she was flying. Letting out a laugh, she let the features pass her by in a blur.

However, one feature was steadily coming up to meet her, and her eyes widened as the Blue Eyes headpiece loomed larger ahead. She was picking up momentum and opened her mouth to scream when a hand reached up and pulled her off. Tea tumbled down a couple feet and hit the ground. For a moment she had the wind knocked out of her.

The sound of laughter brought her around. Mokuba had doubled up, leaning against the Blue Eyes for support. "That was so funny, Tea! The look on your face…"

Tea scrambled up, the adrenaline slowly dying down. "That," she gasped. "Was…fun!" She sighed deeply, relieved. It had been fun, even the potential crash that Mokuba had saved her from.

"Do you want to do it again?" Mokuba had an evil little grin on his face.

"Heavens! Not right now. Maybe- maybe later." Tea gave a shaky laugh.

"I'll hold you up to that."

Tea looked at him swiftly. He was enjoying the entire situation she could tell. "Do you treat your other sitters this way?"

Mokuba looked a little sheepish. "Yeah…but you're the first one to actually enjoy it!" _And to actually agree to do it in the first place without coddling._

Mokuba led Tea through a rather large hallway to the dining room. "We eat in here most of the time. Occasionally we eat in the kitchen like we did tonight; it depends on Seto's mood I guess. And the ballroom is through that hallway."

Tea gasped as they walked into the ballroom. It was most likely the largest room in the house. Unlike the rest of the house, there was no sign of the Blue-Eyes theme. Oval shaped, with vaulted ceilings and gold and cedar trimmings; it looked like it had dropped right out of a storybook.

"Like it?" Mokuba asked with a twinkle in his eyes. He could already see Tea retreating into her imagination like any dancer would. Tea turned toward him, eyes shining. "It's beautiful!" she breathed. Mokuba nodded in satisfaction. "I thought you would. Care to give it a try?"

Tea nodded enthusiastically, than stopped with a wistful expression. "I don't have any of the right clothes for any of the styles. Or a partner." Though she mainly did ballet and jazz dance, she did know how to ballroom dance.

Mokuba put on an injured air. "I'm sorry. Are there no guys in this room?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean you."

"So you're assuming I wouldn't make a good partner?"

"No- that's not true. Life! You and your brother like to confuse me too much!"

"Seto _confuses _you?" Now there definitely was a sly twist in Mokuba's tone. He was puzzled but wouldn't let it show in this situation. Better to take the upper hand. "How?"

"Ugh! Don't you two ever stop antagonizing me? And whatever happened to wanting to dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Mokuba could barely hold himself from laughing. If this is what his brother did, he liked it. Of course he wouldn't treat them as an inferior- but he liked teasing people.

Tea decided the best thing to do was roll her eyes. Mokuba smiled even wider- soon he'd be like the Cheshire cat. Stepping up to her he offered his arm. "Care to dance?" he asked solemnly though his eyes twinkled at her. "I would love to," Tea replied with equal gravity. "But where's our music?"

Mokuba slapped a hand to his forehead. Crap, he was messing this up! "Just a sec," he promised and ran to the side of the room. Opening a cedar cabinet he fiddled around inside it. All of a sudden, soft Latino music filled the room. "Surround sound," he explained. _Lord, _Tea thought. Just when you thought him normal he had to pull a rich stunt.

Tea smiled as she recognized the style of music. "Salsa?" she murmured. Mokuba grinned back. "Definitely." And held out his hand. Tea took it and away they went. Being shorter than her, it was a bit awkward dancing. However, Mokuba held his own, leading the taller girl around the room.

They both were having a blast. Tea, who rarely danced Latino music, was discovering that she really enjoyed doing it. Mokuba was excited to have a real partner who could dance well. After the dance, they broke apart laughing.

"That was so much fun!" Mokuba said. They were both a little out of breath. Tea, who was gasping a little from too little oxygen, enthusiastically replied "I wish I could do that more often. I never do this on a normal basis."

"Come on over anytime. That way, I can practice my skills. Then I'll be even better!"

"You dance so well, though. All the girls will want to dance with you. I'll be jealous." There was a mixed look on Mokuba's face: pleasure with a bit of revulsion. Obviously he was in that in-between stage of life. He preferred dancing with Tea, but he wouldn't tell her that. Neither was he quite in puberty yet.

"Too bad I'm not a bit older." Mokuba sighed wistfully.

"Why is that?" Tea asked.

"That way I would actually be able to look at your face from eye-level." He explained. "Seto's lucky in that respect."

"Actually he's a lot taller." _Automatically make us look up to him_ Tea thought with a bit of disgust.

"My point taken."

Tea switched subjects then. "Why did you guys keep the ballroom? It doesn't seem something your brother would want to keep."

"Seto had to learn to dance at a young age. It was one of the things Gozoburo forced him to do. So naturally, he didn't like it that much. I think Seto hates the waltz permanently. But he liked Latino dances for some reason. They aren't so stiff and formal; like a getaway from the rest of life. Anyway, we got here, and Seto thought it would be too much trouble to remodel the room so we just renovated it. Seto hired a dance teacher for me because he said I'd eventually have to dance at business events. What he doesn't know that much is that I really took to it. Not something you'd want people to know, right? But I really like it. Sometimes I'll come in here alone and practice. That's why it was so fun with you today. I think that someday we could have a lot of fun together at it. I just don't know when." He sighed again. "I wanted to learn the Tango but my teacher didn't teach it. Seto knows it; I hope he can teach me someday."

Tea brightened. "I know the part! Well, the girl's part at least. I'm sure we could puzzle out your part together if Kaiba didn't teach you."

Mokuba smiled faintly. "Yeah. That would be cool. But I really want Seto to do it. You know; spend more time with him."

Tea nodded knowingly. "I see. Well; why don't we check out the attic now?" It seemed no matter what they did, there was a memory connected with it for Mokuba. Mokuba had no problem telling Tea about his past though, either because she was a good friend; or that it was a relief to finally be able to tell somebody. Tea had those moments; she was thankful for her mom and friends for being there for her. How many people were there for Mokuba? Right then and there she made a silent vow. _I don't know how long I will be around, Mokuba, but I promise that I will always be there for you while I'm here. _

Unaware of the promise his sitter had made him, Mokuba took Tea's hand and led her out of the ballroom. He took her up several flights of stairs till they reached the door to the attic. The entrance was a rectangular door in the ceiling that when opened revealed a small stepladder to the top floor.

Tea and Mokuba ascended the ladder and appeared in a large room a foot higher than Tea. It was pitch black until the light from the floor below exposed a bronze chain hanging from the rafters. Mokuba pulled it, and low and behold a bright light flickered on.

The attic itself spanned maybe a quarter of the mansion's square footage. It was dusty beyond belief, with cobwebs connecting the rafters together. Boxes upon boxes were piled around on the floor, with several items of furniture also up there.

Tea shivered slightly; a feeble draft had blown in from somewhere. Mokuba went ahead and headed for some of the boxes.

"Are all these boxes yours, Mokuba?"

"No. Some we brought; those contain stuff from our past. The others were left here from the previous owners. That's why it's so fascinating." He reached a medium sized box, pulled open the flaps. "See what I mean?" He was holding a dress: Mandarin in style but no larger than himself. Putting it up to himself, he simpered at Tea. "Think I could start a new trend?"

Tea snickered. "Try getting that past your brother first." She headed over to a box and opened it. She pulled out some photo albums that were covered in dust. Wiping a hand across the front, she peered at the front and then flipped open to the first page. She gasped. A picture of three men were standing on a boat, laughing at something someone had said. She didn't know the first man…but the second she recognized as Gozoburo Kaiba…and the third…

She slammed the album shut, closing her eyes to shut out what she had just seen. Her eyes were getting wet. She had sworn to him that she would move on with her life; to forget the grief she'd felt. Trying to block the flood of memories coming back to her she slammed the album back down in the box-

"Tea?" She gasped. Spun around. Mokuba stood there, perplexed. Tea had a look in her eye; an almost maniacal look, but there was sorrow and another emotion he couldn't put a finger to.

"Are you alright?"

"Me? I'm fine. This album has pictures of your stepfather in it…" She stopped, realizing what she had just said, for a shadow had fallen across Mokuba's face. She turned around then, and bent to close the box when she saw a book lying spine up in the box. Any regrets fell into the back of her mind as she grabbed the book, a knowing smile on her face.

"Ah…ah….ahchoo!" Mokuba sneezed as she shut the box lid.

"Sorry about that. Why don't we head down now? It's getting kind of late." Her watch said 8:00. She'd better get Mokuba ready for bed. Life, she was tired too. Looking after a little boy was a lot of work. _Actually it's more like a paid play date._ In truth, she preferred it like that.

They turned out the light and headed down the ladder. Closing up the door, they made their way to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. Slightly protesting, Mokuba was ordered to change clothes. Grumbling he went, but Tea (suppressing a yawn) was quick to follow suit.

Ten minutes later they met in the rec room. Tea had promised Mokuba a treat, and he sat there eagerly awaiting it. He was dressed in soft flannel bottoms and a t-shirt that read "Will behave for cookies." Tea arrived, dressed in a red PJ set with tiny stars all over. In her arms she carried the book she had picked from the attic.

"So! What are we going to do?" Mokuba said excitedly. Tea thought she had made a good choice. Mokuba was way too hyper at the moment.

Tea went over to a couch and sat down, patting the book on her lap.

"We're going to read Treasure Islandby Robert Louis Stevenson. It was one of my favorite stories as a kid."

"A _book_?"

"Don't you do much reading?"

"If I have to. Or when I'm bored. But that's an old book isn't it? It should be boring."

"Pirates…treasure…no romance…" It was a tempting offer. "Plus, my mother says I'm a good reader."

Mokuba made an executive decision. "Well, all right. It better be good."

Tea smiled slyly. "Oh it will be." She patted the part of the sofa beside her and Mokuba bounced onto it. He snuggled up next to her, and she began the story.

"_Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen in the year of grace 17- and go back to the time when my father kept the 'Admiral Benbow' inn, and the brown old seaman with the saber cut, first took up his lodging under our roof…"_

Tea's voice fell up and down with the story; a magical voice that transported Mokuba back to the times of the pirates. The story might have been boring if he'd just sat down and read it himself, but Tea made it real. He listened enthralled as Black Dog came to the Admiral Benbow inn and threatened Jim Hawkins for the first time. Time passed outside their world as Tea read; Mokuba didn't remember the time he leaned on Tea's shoulder and closed his eyes.

Tea felt his head hit her shoulder and she stopped reading. Mokuba quickly opened his eyes, embarrassed.

"I'm not tired! Let's keep going-" he was stopped by a sudden yawn.

Tea smiled and closed the book. "Tomorrow we'll continue, okay?"

"All right. Good night, Tea. I'm so glad you're here."

"I'm glad I'm here, too. Now let's get you off to bed. Tomorrow we have lots to do." With that promise they both retired to their rooms anticipating the next day.

* * *

Well that's the end of chapter three. Hope you liked it! Please review! There will be one more chapter featuring this job and then I'll move on. A quick note: all these hints about Tea's special someone shall be revealed soon! Now the scoop on my policy: this month is so hectic for me! I have to get ready for soccer; homework; honors stuff; plus this is the major music month for me. As a result I do not know how long it will take me to finish chapter 4 and chapter 3 of Importance of Family. They will be probably be updated in April. I'm so sorry! However for all you Harry Potter fans: my friend Masked Midnight is most likely going to be posting a series of Harry Potter one-shots under my account…so please read them. She's one of the funniest writers I know! So I will see you all later! Take care Req 


	4. Living the Good Life

Hi everyone! I am sooo sorry that I haven't updated this for months! I blame school, homework, and every single activity I've done. I worked on this for 3 hours yesterday—it's my longest chapter yet! I hope it's enough to earn your forgiveness. Thank you to all my readers (reviewers or not) for being so patient with me! Now onto the story…

Disclaimer: Duh. I. Do. Not. Own. Yu Gi Oh!

* * *

Chapter Four- Living the Good Life

The alarm clock started blaring at 8:00 AM. Tea rolled over and slammed the snooze button. As she rolled back, her eyes fluttered open. She blinked once. Where was she again? Oh, yeah, the Kaiba brothers' mansion. A bit of autumn sun peaked in through the blinds, making the walls appear to glow.

Tea was fully awake now, but lay in the soft embrace of silk sheets. She had sunk back into her pillows, and surveyed the ceiling with half-interest. It was just pleasant to wake up in this giant bed, not have to worry about school or anything else. Except Mokuba.

It had been hard to figure out what to do with a boy Mokuba's age. She normally babysat kids younger. She knew he'd have lots at his disposal and probably owned every technologic toy or game out there. Talking with her mom two nights ago, she contemplated luring him to the outside and introduce him to what she and her friends did as pre-teens. Not involving shopping, make-up, or dancing that is.

She had finally settled on a couple games and sports stuff. It had been a little hard to find her old sizes, but she was pretty sure Mokuba still had smaller feet than her…but not by much. With that thought, and the thought of the day's activities, she sat up smiling. Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, she made contact with her blue fuzzy slippers and slipped in.

Tea opened her door and walked down the hallway. She had finally remembered how to get to her room from several places in the mansion and was pretty much able to backtrack to the rec. room and dining room. There was one problem: where would Mokuba be?

Fortunately for Tea, this was not her day to get lost. She ran into a maid to hallways down who informed her that Master Mokuba usually got up early on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons. Tea headed to the rec. room then.

Mokuba was there indeed; engrossed in an anime. He barely noticed her until she threw a pillow at him.

"Aahh! Tea! Don't do that! Wait till the commercial break."

"Sure," Tea laughed, plopping down next to him on the floor. "Wouldn't want you to miss a sentence."

"That'd be horrible!" The look on Mokuba's face was a mix of surprise and humor as he caught only a bit of the sarcasm.

"And how long will you watch cartoons?" Tea inquired. It was a little after 8- most cartoon mornings went till noon.

Mokuba's gaze turned from the TV as yet another commercial break came. "Don't worry! This show's only a half-hour, and then the only other good ones are at 9:30 and 10. We'll have time to eat breakfast before we're back watching again."

"I feel _so _gratified," Tea groaned. She forgot how much time animes took. Not to displease anyone- she still watched a few from time to time. Mostly though she watched prime time during the week and movies.

Mokuba's show finished (finally) and a delicious smell wafted towards them as they left the rec. room. Ms. Harada, the cook, had cooked a huge breakfast. Mokuba plowed through half of what was served, while Tea got stuffed after one helping.

"Who eats all this?" she asked amazed.

Mokuba looked up from his plate. "Oh, me and Seto."

"You mean, Seto and I. Are you serious?"

"Yeah! He eats a lot on Saturdays for some reason. Maybe it is because he nearly starves himself during the week because he's so busy with work."

"He's too busy," Tea commented. Mokuba looked up at her sharply.

"He's the president of a major corporation. There's so much that has to get done and all at once," he reprimanded her. It seemed to Tea that he had recited that- that maybe those were someone else's words he was used to hearing. She could probably guess whose, too.

When breakfast was finished, Tea informed him of the day's schedule. "I'm going to go take a shower now while you watch your shows, okay? You should also get dressed, too. We're going to be playing outside for a bit since it's so nice out today." She still didn't tell him what they were actually going to be doing, for she wanted it to be a surprise.

Tea took her shower and changed into capris and a T-shirt. She met Mokuba in the rec. room; he having just changed into day clothes. He looked curiously at the bag she was lugging over one shoulder.

"What do you have in there?" he asked curiously. The bag was filled with things bulging out at odd angles and degrees. Tea smiled and opened the bag. She pulled out two sets of roller blades.

"We're going rollerblading today!" She announced with a smile. It stopped when she looked at the puzzled look on his face. "You don't like to?" she asked nervously.

Mokuba shook his head. "I've never done it before."

"Are you serious! You poor deprived kid! I loved rollerblading when I was your age. Still do, actually. Well, I guess I'll just have to teach you."

He smiled. "Okay, I guess. What will Seto think?"

Tea looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Do you need to know what he thinks?"

Mokuba started. He considered it: he was always doing what his older brother told him to do, but he also got his way a lot of the time. Seto was just looking out for him, but that didn't mean he knew what was best for him. In fact, half the things he didn't do would probably be fun.

Turning to face Tea, he shook his head. "I guess not. We've never done this before though. I hope he doesn't get mad."

Smiling, Tea handed a pair to him. "I hope these fit- they're mine from a couple of years ago. Sorry if they're too girly for you."

Mokuba eyed the blades he held in his hand; they were dark blue with stars all over them. "Nah—they aren't pink. I'll be okay."

Tea gave him a helmet as well (with Japan's flag on it) and pulled out her current pair of blades. They were a little beaten up since the day she had decided to try some of her ballet moves on wheels. "Why don't we go outside now," she commented.

For a fall day, it was rather sunny—with some clouds making the temperatures balmy. Tea was lucking out; something was sure to go wrong today. Working for Seto Kaiba meant that everything had to be perfect…working for Seto Kaiba also meant there was something that wouldn't meet his approval. (At least, that was the appearance Tea got).

"T-Tea?" Mokuba sat on the front steps, looking at his rollerblades in apprehension. "These aren't the most stable things, are they?" He ran a hand over the wheels, spinning them.

Tea glided over from the beginning of the driveway. It was more of a roundabout with a special "drop-off" zone. She had a particular grace when she skated, most likely from having good balance and a supple body.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm…sca—I'm worried about getting hurt. Seto would get really mad, wouldn't he?"

"You bet. But don't forget; you've got me here along for the ride! As long as you take it easy, you'll be fine. Here," Tea reached out her hands. Mokuba took them, and she helped hoist him up.

He wobbled for a minute, still holding on tight. His grip showed how tense he was. "Easy," Tea murmured. He loosened slightly. Skating backwards along the walkway, she guided him slowly, having him pick the pace. Once he got a rhythm, Tea let go.

Mokuba glided forward about four paces, then lost his balance. Waving his arms, he pitched forward, catching himself by stumbling to a halt.

"You okay?" Tea asked. It was like teaching her cousins how to ride a bike.

Mokuba nodded. He looked a little pale.

"Don't worry. You're going to be awkward for the first bit, getting used to balancing. Think of it like you did learning pool. Practice makes perfect," she quipped.

Mokuba smiled a little. "I don't own any blades."

"You can keep mine, if you'd like. Or you can go out and buy them. Practically every sporting store carries them. Now why don't you try again?"

Still nervous, Mokuba picked himself up and started again. Shuffling forward, he slowly began to get it.

"That's better! Try to glide though; scuffing the blades is harder."

Skating forward, he started to gain more confidence. Tea, seeing that he was getting it, turned around and glided out of the way. Mokuba seemed unawares for a while that he was gliding—his face tight in concentration. In a minute though, delight blossomed across his face.

"Tea! I'm getting it! I'm rollerblad-WOOH!" he stumbled, catching himself. Beginning again, he caught the rhythm and started after Tea. Making the loop, he came to a stop, laughing.

"Let's do it again! This is really fun! Why haven't I tried this sooner? I wish we had more room to skate in," he looked wistfully out the gate.

"Get comfortable first, here. Once you can go around a couple of times without losing your balance, then we can discuss going outside…But since we're on the topic, I did have a couple of ideas…"

"Well, get on with them!" Mokuba circled around her.

"I was thinking that we could go to the park, if it was okay. They have a lot of pathways we could skate on. Then we could eat out, or come back here. You'd get a lot of practice, and the park is beautiful this time of year."

"Sounds good to me! I'll call Okudo!"

"Hang on," Tea caught his arm as it was digging into a pocket. "You haven't done your laps yet!"

With a sigh, Mokuba began his task. Funny though, how kids seem to be a lot more motivated when there's an incentive. By his second lap, Mokuba had increased his speed, and was already adopting a racing stance going around the corners.

"Alright! You're looking great! We can go now," Tea added, laughing at Mokuba's excited aura. Unfortunately for Kaiba, she decided; Joey had rubbed off on Mokuba despite his brother's efforts. Mokuba was just like a puppy, getting excited at everything and sticking his nose in first without thinking. The thought made her giggle.

Ever the prompt manservant, Okudo (Mokuba's driver when Roland was absent) drove up in a limo. Tea let Mokuba fill Okudo in while she ran up to grab to a few things.

"Tea and I are going to the park, Okudo!" Mokuba bounced up and down on his heels. He had changed back into sneakers; as Tea had pointed out that he'd probably do himself a lot of damage if he didn't.

Tea hurried out of the house and down to the limo. _This is so weird for me! It's like living another life! But this is what it's like, being wealthy._ She had retrieved her purse, phone, and some first-aid supplies. She felt they'd probably be very handy today.

The Kaiba brothers' mansion was on the outskirts of the city, so it was about a twenty-minute drive to Domino Park. The park was rather large: there was a jungle gym and swing set; and large grassy sections crisscrossed by pathways popular to all. Benches populated the park, and the entire park was filled with maple, cherry, and evergreen trees. Being fall; the deciduous trees were colored in a brilliant palate of reds, oranges, and yellows.

Both Tea and Mokuba gasped slightly as they got out of the limo. The park was in its full time splendor. Neither had seen it quite like this before. Sitting on the edge of their seats, the put their rollerblades on.

Tea looked down at Mokuba, smiling. "Well, are you ready to go?"

"Way ahead of you, sister!" Mokuba dashed off laughing. The two left Okudo on a bench, reading a magazine.

If you were a casual observer, sitting on a bench or on a blanket in the grass, you couldn't help notice the inconspicuous pair rollerblading past. Their faces a blur, all you would be able to catch wasis the energy they were giving off. The boy and the girl would race after each other; laughing; waiting for one to catch up before taking off. Zipping up and down the paths, you would have thought them brother and sister. There was closeness and a connection; a bond shared that may have just been from rollerblading, maybe even deeper.

After a while (more around an hour and a half), the two came to a halt, both gasping, out of breath. Their cheeks red (it _wa_s fall), their hair askew, they grinned at each other, starry-eyed.

"That was one of the best things I've ever done!" Mokuba breathed in heavily. "Is this what living the good life is?"

Tea giggled. "It's definitely a big part of it! Thanks for doing this with me, Mokuba! I haven't done this in ages; but I think it's going to make a comeback."

"Thank you for teaching me! What all have I missed?"

Tea looked around, her eye catching on a vendor's stand a few feet away. "Odango!" she cried.

Mokuba looked confused. "But I've had odango before…oh! Can we get some!"

"Definitely!…I don't think this counts as too much sugar?"

"Nah! It's when you feed me cookies; chocolate; that stuff." _Well, actually it's most sugar…but she doesn't need to know that, does she?_

Tea nodded in understanding. Pulling out her wallet (she'd stashed it in a pocket), she went up to the stand and ordered odango for two. The balls of sweetened rice flour were produced, but before she could pay, Mokuba was beside her.

"I'll pay," he announced.

"But it's my treat," Tea protested.

Mokuba looked her in the eye. He had adopted a stance and tone his brother used; one that said: _my way or suffer the consequences_. "You've treated me to so much these past two days. Let me contribute in some small way." Tea had to concede.

Soon they were seated on a bench, eating their odango. Mokuba told Tea about school: how he was really good at math but not Japanese; that his best friends were twins (a boy and a girl); and how he wanted to lead his own life, let his brother run the company. In turn, Tea told him about dancing, her dream to live in New York City and dance, and what life was like being the only girl in a group of guys. They were conversing like they'd been friends forever, not a couple of days when Mokuba's watch beeped.

"Oh! It's 2:00! I told Okudo we'd be back at the limo now!" Once again they were racing off down the paths, skidding to a stop in front of the driver (who was still sitting on the bench reading the same magazine). Looking at the driver, motionless, Mokuba whispered to ditch him.

Laughing, he spun around to sprint off…and Tea closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the crash. Having tripped over his foot spinning, Mokuba lay on the ground, face down.

Pulling up groggily, he grinned at Tea apologetically; but the grin turned into a wince. Mokuba bit his lip in pain, and they both looked down on his elbow, which was bleeding profusely.

"Oh my gosh! Mokuba! Are you alright?" Tea was down on her knees, examining his elbow.

"Hold on Master Mokuba! I'll call—"

"Don't!" Mokuba cried out. "It's nothing. I'll be alright." Okudo closed his cell phone, which he had whipped out as soon as he'd seen the bleeding elbow.

Tea pulled out a tissue from her wallet, she dabbed at the blood until she could see the wound. "It's not too bad," she reported. "It looks like you just skinned your elbow." Pulling out the large Band-Aids she'd foreseen to bring, she proceeded to clean the scrape as best she could.

"There. This will hold until we get you home," Tea sealed the Band-Aid on.

Mokuba smiled up at her. "You're so prepared," he whispered in a voice that was full of tenderness. Tea's eyes widened—then softened. Smoothing back his hair the way her mother smoothed hers, Tea leaned close to his ear and replied

"Of course. Someone has to be."

* * *

"Well, Master Mokuba! You're as good as new!" One of the maids threw away the scraps from patching up the boy.

"Thank you, Koyo." Mokuba hopped down off the bathroom counter where he had been lounging. Gingerly testing his arm, he realized he couldn't move his forearm independent of his upper arm. The scrape had required a large bandage to protect it all.

"I guess we won't be able to do any dancing," Mokuba remarked sadly to Tea. She had been in the doorway the whole time, supervising.

"That's okay. We can watch a movie till dinner."

The movie lasted till after 5 o'clock. After playing cards for a bit, they went down to have dinner. Mokuba was just finishing seconds when the phone rang. Koyo came in. "It's your brother, Master Mokuba."

"Seto!…Yeah, I'm doing all right...Yeah, I haven't been in trouble...No, we're just finishing it…You're just leaving! I hope traffic won't be slow. I have so much to tell you about…yeah, she's wonderful!…Okay, I'll tell her that. Well, tell Roland to drive safely, and I'll see you around 8:30? Okay…You, too….Uh, huh; bye!"

Mokuba hung up. "Seto's just leaving his conference. He should be home at 8:30 tonight. He sounded tired—but not mad. That's a good thing! Oh, and he said that you can leave at 8:30. He should be home by then. And if not, go home and he'll mail you your check."

Tea rolled her eyes. "He wants me cleared out, doesn't he?"

Mokuba nodded sheepishly. "I'd guess so…Tea? I'm bored."

Great. What to do now? Tea had exhausted her supply of resources, but she didn't want to look at another television screen for a while. She didn't want a restless Mokuba on her hands either. There was still almost an hour and a half till his brother came home…wait a second. That was the perfect idea!

"Mokuba! You're usually really excited to see Kaiba when he gets home, right?" He nodded slowly. "Well, do you want to make him something as a welcome home present?"

"Like what?"

"How about…cookies? I have this really great recipe—I practically know it by heart now. It's a favorite of the guys, too. It'll keep you occupied"

"Okay," Mokuba was warming up to the idea. "What are they?"

"They're called Chocolate Revel Bars! Oh my gosh, they are soo good! It's like there's cookie mixture on the bottom, then this creamy chocolate poured over, then some more cookie mixture on top. They're _dreamy_," Tea closed her eyes and licked her lips.

Mokuba was hooked at the very sound of cookies. "Let's do it! Do you need to get the recipe off the Internet?"

Soon they had the recipe printed out, and Mokuba had talked Ms. Harada into letting them use the kitchen. She, of course, was going home for the night, but agreed on the condition that it was cleaned and ready for the morning's use. While Mokuba began to bounce off the walls at the mention of sugar, Tea checked to make sure all the ingredients were stocked.

"Okay, I think everything's here except the walnuts! That's fine, because I use pecans instead. So, do you want to divide up the work? You can mix together the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt while I beat the margarine and add the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla."

Mokuba was an eager helper, though Tea (compliant to Seto's rules) kept the brown sugar and chocolate chips away from him. She taught him some of her tricks for cooking, like putting away and cleaning everything as you went along (saving time) and different ways to mix things.

Working in a pair made cooking go so much faster. In about a half-hour there was a pan of cookies waiting to go in the oven.

"You're a great cook," Tea complimented as Mokuba slid the pan into the oven (though actually they had four…two on top of each other). "You're brother's going to love them, I'd bet everything on it."

"Really?" Mokuba wiped a bit of flour off his cheek. He hadn't spilled _too _much of it.

"Definitely." Tea started to clean up. "I have not met a single person who tried it and didn't like it…unless they were allergic to nuts."

In about twenty minutes, a delicious smell started to waft through the mansion. Tea and Mokuba were playing Monopoly (guess who was winning?) when the first odors drifted in.

A glazed look over came over Mokuba's face. "Cookies…" he murmured.

"And I'm going to file a complaint against you for tax fraud!"

"WHAT! You can't do that!" Mokuba wasn't intoxicated for a minute.

"I know. But you promised me that Kaiba would have the first cookie; and that you can have as much of them as you'd like, tomorrow."

The boy sighed. "Okay," he reluctantly agreed.

After another twenty or so minutes, the cookies were ready. They came out, golden brown on top, with the chocolate bubbling up slightly through the crust.

Mokuba closed his eyes. "Those smell mighty good. We make a good team don't we?" He high-fived Tea.

"You bet. Now we just need to cut them up."

"Do you think that Seto will start bouncing off the walls when he tastes this?" Mokuba grinned mischievously.

An equally wicked glance was returned. "One can only hope you get it on tape."

* * *

More time had passed. Board games were used to eat up time, but Tea could tell Mokuba was getting worried. Kaiba hadn't shown up yet, and it was 8:25. Her bag was all packed, waiting in the front foyer, but she was hesitant to leave. It was against her protocol and morals to leave a boy unattended (mostly).

"Yo, Mokuba!" Tea called, from downstairs. He came to the top of the stairs and looked down.

"Are you leaving, Tea?" he called, somewhat sadly.

"Not yet! I've decided I'll wait till your brother gets home." She watched his face brighten a little. "Why don't we do what we did last night? I'll get the book out while you're getting dressed."

Mokuba quickly assented. Tea breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't lost on her yet. _Kaiba, you'd better get home soon! Or at least call. You've got the brains to do that!_

* * *

At nine-thirty that night an exhausted Seto climbed out of his limo and made his way up the front steps. Unlocking the door, he stepped quietly into the entryway. He noticed Tea's duffel bag waiting by the door. _She's still here? I thought she would have left by now. I told her I'd be home at 8:30. But then again…I am late. Hopefully I don't have to pay for this. _

There was a light on upstairs and a delicious smell wafting up from the kitchen. He decided he'd check the rec. room first for anybody. He walked into the rec. room and met the oddest sight: Mokuba and Tea lay curled up together on the couch. She had a book with her and was reading it aloud to him. An abandoned board game lay on the floor near them.

The door creaked as it opened, and the room's occupants looked up at him. "Seto!" Mokuba said sleepily. He got up, dressed in Duel Monsters pajamas, and ran to give him a hug. "You're late, big brother."

Seto ruffled Mokuba's hair affectionately. "Sorry, Mokuba. We encountered traffic on the way back from Tokyo, unfortunately where I couldn't get reception."

"We stayed up to wait for you. Tea said she wouldn't leave until you got home." Seto looked over at Tea. She had closed Treasure Island and looked up to meet his gaze.

"I didn't want to leave him alone." She said simply. Seto nodded grudgingly. He may have underestimated this girl in the past…a little.

"We made cookies, Seto!" Mokuba said excitedly. Seto smiled down at his brother's face. It was obviously something very important to him. "For when you came home."

"So that's what I smelled when I came in."

Mokuba nodded very fast. "It was Tea's idea. She said I was getting restless waiting for you and we should do something to welcome you."

Seto looked over at Tea with a raised eyebrow. "Chocolate Revel bars. Lots of chocolate…" There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. Seto wondered why.

"Well, you're up late enough Mokuba. Why don't you go up to bed and I'll see Gardner out?" He didn't know why he was treating her like a business associate, but it seemed the right thing to do.

"Okay. Goodnight, big brother. You'll come up…?" He looked questioningly at his brother, who nodded. The tradition would be continued. "Well, goodbye Tea. Thanks for staying with me." He went and gave her a shy hug. Tea smiled warmly at him. "It was my pleasure, Mokuba. Sometime later we can finish the book…"

"Definitely." With a parting smile, he slipped through the doorway. Tea and Seto listened to his footsteps as he headed off to bed. Then the two of them were alone, and an awkward silence fell over them. Finally Seto noticed the book that lay on the sofa and picked it up.

"Treasure Island. I haven't read that since the orphanage…" He said, half to himself. He remembered who he was with, and managed to pull himself back together.

"I thought one of the rules was Mokuba can't have any extra sugar, Gardner. You forgot?" He said coldly.

Surprisingly, she smirked at him. "I didn't. I haven't given any cookies to Mokuba. We were waiting till you came home; so Mokuba would be in your hands…" The implication made Seto groan inwardly. The woman was smart! Of course, a sugar-loaded Mokuba would be Seto's problem, not hers.

He scowled at her and she, understanding that he knew what she'd meant, let her eyes laugh at him. That made him do a double take. Hardly anyone laughed at him.

He walked out of the rec. room; naturally, Tea followed. She couldn't help a big yawn. Was she tired! Looking after a boy was hard work. Seto noticed the yawn, but made no sign of it. When they'd gone down the stairs and turned into a living room, he turned and spoke.

"Everything went satisfactory? Nothing happened to Mokuba?" There was urgency in his tone, something that surprised Tea. She knew he cared deeply about his brother, but the almost fatherly concern was unexpected.

"No, everything was fine," she reassured him. "I picked him up yesterday, and we played games last night. Today was fine, also. Mokuba got a small scrape rollerblading, but we fixed that up fine."

"Roller blading!" Something hard came into his eyes. What was Mokuba Kaiba doing roller blading?

"Roller blading. You know; shoes with wheels. Skate back and forth—"

"I know what it is," he cut into her sarcasm. "I'm just surprised he wanted to do it."

Tea stared at him. "He's a boy, Kaiba. He wants to have fun. Don't you?"

"That's none of your business." Something about her was getting under his skin, and he didn't really like it.

"Fine then. No wonder you're so stiff." She added in an undertone.

Seto definitely was irritated now. "I'll call the limo around; it's getting late." Better get Gardner out of the house before she started spouting "friendship lectures" or anything else.

Tea nodded. It would be good to get home to her bed. It wasn't like she was unfamiliar with late nights; she was just worn out. She headed toward the front doors, yawning. Remembering something; she stopped; looking back at Seto.

"Kaiba…"

"What?"

"My paycheck…"

_Crap. I was so tired I forgot…Since when am I tired? _"I'll stop by your house tomorrow and give it to you."

She looked confused. Gazing over at him, she started to recognize the signs of fatigue. Lord, this guy worked too hard! "That's fine. I don't have anything going on tomorrow. 'Night." She yawned again. "We could both use the sleep."

_Both? _But Tea had already picked up her bags and had opened the door. He took two steps, as if to help her, but decided not to. "Goodnight," he said reluctantly.

* * *

The limo dropped Tea off at her house. She dragged her bag up the steps and unlocked the door. Without bothering to change, she crawled into bed and was fast asleep. She wouldn't be up till 9 the next morning.

* * *

Seto watched Tea leave. Then he turned around. He started to make his way up the stairs to his study, when he caught a drift of the cookies from the kitchen. It had been really sweet of Mokuba to make those cookies- _though Gardner helped_, he reminded himself. Still, he doubted his own brother would let her poison the food. _What the heck. I might as well find out if they're edible or not._

He made his way back down the stairs to the kitchen. He didn't bother to turn on anymore lights; he was used to the dark. When he reached the kitchen he turned on the light, holding a hand up at the brightness.

In the middle of the island a pan sat on a cooling rack. A delicious odor rose up from it. Seto crossed over to it, and gazed hungrily over the cookies. There was dough covering the chocolate, but some had managed to ooze up to the surface. Just looking at it made him want to drool.

Next to the cookies were a paring knife and a sign that said "Welcome home, Seto!" He smiled at Mokuba's childish hand. Then he picked up the knife and cut a small square from the pan. He wedged out the cookie and without second thought, popped it in his mouth.

Crunchy sweetness immediately became gooey and melted in his mouth. There wasn't any synonyms he could use at the moment (a failure for him) to describe the taste except _heavenly. _Just that little portion was enough to satisfy him. Seto gazed longingly at the pan. However, there was always tomorrow.

With a sigh, he remembered his tiredness and headed up to his bedroom. He changed clothes and brushed his teeth and climbed into bed. Sleep overtook him quickly, also. His last thought of the evening was half-coherent.

_Gardner sure makes good cookies. _

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 4! Please review…have I mentioned how I love getting them! All the comments are very helpful…whether for my writing or my self-esteem!  I am leaving for vacation in Oregon for this next week, but I'll try to work on the next chapters (actually ch. 5 is written…I need to go through, edit, and decide whether to add anything else cause it's kinda short). I'm going to focus on Importance of Family, though. Hey, it's summer—which means lots of updates! _(CHEERS)_ Thanks, and take care! Req 


	5. Better Rich

A/N: This chapter has been finished faster than any other due to the fact I wrote it while editing Ch. 1. Does anyone else find it easy to come up with certain events but find it hard to come up with filler details? Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Apologies to all the readers because the author is too lazy for her own good! Please enjoy _Better Rich!_

Note: The current exchange rate (July 27) for US dollars into Yen is 116.28. Don't get confused by how much Tea charges an hour. $6 U.S. is approximately 700 yen. Kaiba paid her 3700 yen, which is approximately (with rounding) $200 U.S.

Disclaimer: If wishes were horses…than I would be as rich as Kazuki Takahashi (creatercreator of Yu Gi Oh…not me). Nor do I own the T-Shirt featured in this chapter, though I was sorely tempted to.

* * *

Chapter 5. Better Rich

Seto woke up the next morning, refreshed. A feeling he only had once a day…on a good one, that is. Rolling over, he gazed groggily at his clock and bolted upright. _Eight A-M! Crap! I forgot to set my alarm…oh. Wrong day. It's Sunday._ Had he gone through extensive brain surgery the previous day? No, only excruciatingly long meetings would lower I.Q. points. How exhausted had he been last night?

Not bothering to put on a robe, he mindlessly headed for his bathroom. Stepping into the shower, he turned it on Hot at full blast. The warm water always relaxed him, and being a multi-millionaire, he didn't mind the water bill. Thirty minutes were spent in blissful solitude.

When he got to the breakfast table he dug into the omelet placed before him. It was a Texan, with lots of green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. He also had two pieces of sausages and toast. He didn't give a rip about what some might say about his eating habits. Separating a teenager from his breakfast was riskier than B.A.S.E. jumping with a faulty parachute.

It took him halfway through his omelet to notice his brother's absence. That was odd; Mokuba usually ate breakfast with him on weekends. Ringing the bell for the waiting maid, he inquired to Mokuba's whereabouts. The maid, blushing furiously, replied that he had gotten up earlier and ate breakfast, but she hadn't seen him since.

Seto groaned. There was only one reason for that. "Did he have any of the cookies in the kitchen this morning?"

The maid looked surprised, but then frowned. "Now that you mention it…yes, sir. He had three with breakfast…" Her eyes widened. "Should I go look for him, sir?"

Seto sighed. Another thing to inhibit his hopefully peaceful day. "No. He's bound to be bouncing around the house somewhere. It won't do me any good to go chasing after him till he's burned off all his energy. Just hide the valuables."

With a curtsy, the maid ran off. Seto finished his breakfast quickly. He had rather lost what remained of his appetite. All it took was one cookie to ruin his day! He cursed the blue-eyed girl who had laughed at him last night. This was all Gardner's fault; she was the one who had made (well, Mokuba had helped) those (explicative) _but delicious _cookies.

_Groan_. Gardner. How many I.Q. points had he lost over the weekend? It wasn't like him to forget details. He had to deliver her paycheck…why hadn't it occurred to him to inform her she'd find it in her mail within the week? But no…now he had to actually visit the house of Yugi's cheerleader.

Sighing, Seto pushed back his chair and grabbed a cup of coffee. He might as well escape…he meant to leave the house and get the unwanted task over with before Mokuba discovered that his brother was up. Wait…couldn't he just send Roland over? And subject himself to a whole day of torture at the hands of his hyperactive brother?

No. Besides, a tiny, smidgen of his self was curious in seeing how Gardner lived. Of all of Yugi's gang except for the pointy-haired…what was his name? That was right; Taylor…he knew the littlest about her, besides her obsessiveness with dance and friendship.

Taking the staircase, Seto walked up to his bedroom. Choosing his navy blue trench coat, he paged the housekeeper. "I'm going out for an hour or so. Mokuba is currently…sugar high. Keep an eye on him for me—I don't want him to ravage the house or get into the kitchen. And once…_if _he sobers before I come back, inform him that he is off any forms of granulated sugar or high-fructose corn syrup."

The housekeeper chuckled for a moment, but stopped when a certain carpet incident and vase incident swam up from the depths of her memory. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba. We'll do our best to keep him under control."

The housekeeper thought she heard a snort from the intercom and the sarcastic words "Good luck."

* * *

Once he grabbed his checkbook from his briefcase, Seto went outside and slid into the limo waiting for him. He gave Gardner's address to his valet. "Roland, we're going to Tea Gardner's house." (All his vehicles were equipped with electronic maps) 

Seto didn't really fancy visiting Gardner in her own house, but he'd promised her he would last night. She may think he was cold and arrogant, but he was honorable. He'd keep his promise.

The limo turned onto a street in the suburbs, approximately fifteen minutes from the mansion. Tea lived in the corner house of a block of houses. _It was more like an apartment building_, Seto thought with a bit of contempt. Roland parked the limo in front of the house.

"When should I expect you, sir?" Roland said as he opened the door for him.

Seto smirked; "I shouldn't be long. I like to keep these meetings short and to the point." He walked up the short drive to the door, noticing as he went up that someone had tried to beautify the place up. Roses lined the walk, and barely towering over a small fountain was a dwarf Sakura tree.

He rung the doorbell and waited. Presently he heard footsteps and the door opened.

"Yes?" A middle-aged woman eyed him up and down. Seto did a double take. A pair of brilliant green eyes was the only difference between her and Gardner. She wore a splotched painter's smock over blue jeans. Obviously she was Gardner's mother.

"Seto Kaiba…I'm here to give Gardner her paycheck."

The woman's eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh! Yes, Tea said you were coming at breakfast…Please come in. I'll call her. I'm Ani Gardner, by the way." She opened the door wide and Seto reluctantly stepped in. Years under the strain of business impressions had taught him not to be rude to his host…at least, not blatantly rude.

It was rather neat and tidy-like at first impression. A staircase was preceded by a two-story high entryway. A sitting room of some sort lay to the left, where two couches and a coffee table stood.

Ani smiled in apology. "She's upstairs…I'll fetch her."

Seto nodded. "Please do. I don't want to waste your time."

"Tea! Get down here!" Ani yelled up the stairs.

On the second floor, a door flew open and Tea ran out…clad in nothing but a green towel around her torso; her hair dripping wet. Looking over the staircase she didn't see the guest at first.

"What, Mom……MOM!" With a wail she ran back into the room and slammed her door shut.

Seto stood there stunned. Had he just seen Gardner…looking so…He shut off that portion of his mind before anything unwanted surfaced to finish off that sentence. Instead, he let a smirk spread across his face. Gaging from her reaction, Gardner had just suffered the embarrassment of a lifetime.

_Maybe this day won't be so bad after all_.

He turned around at a snort of laughter. Ani Gardner was snickering wickedly.

"Lord, I love doing that to her. Of course she'll grab the first clothes she'll see…I must have great foresight…" She continued to laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry. Tea and I always play practical jokes on each other. However, she's going to have to come up with a _huge_ comeback for this one."

Seto couldn't help crack a small smile. Strangely, he liked this woman, or at least her twisted sense of humor. Maybe it would be worth staying here a bit longer…

Ani motioned him to sit on a couch. Doing so, a large painting on the adjacent wall caught his eye. It was obviously an original from the vivid colors. Looking out over the ocean, it portrayed a little girl sat on the sand, smiling to herself as she fashioned a sandcastle. He knew those blue eyes…

He turned to Ani. "Did you paint that?"

It was obvious who the artist was, but the work was incredible. Not that he would admit it. But it was realistic all right. He recognized the model even at an early age.

"Yes. Over ten years ago, when Tea was five. We went to the beach; one of the last times as a family…It's been considered my best work." Her eyes were glazed over with remembrance, and…pain?

"The love's in it." He said gravely. How many times had he remembered the past with pain?

She looked over at him. "Yes," she sounded amazed. "It is. That's why I'll never sell it."

"Would you like some refreshments?" Seto didn't answer; he was staring at a small photograph on a table. It was of a man and Tea, a young girl still.

"Is this her father?" He asked, curious. The man looked somewhat familiar, and not because Tea had inherited his sparkling blue eyes. He'd seen him before…

"Yes. That was taken…before he died. He was a brilliant scientist. You might of heard of him; Kanomi Gardner?"

He had. That's where he knew him. Kanomi Gardner had contributed some of the early research for Kaiba Corp. So Tea had lost her father, too. An unfamiliar feeling washed over him; he recognized it as pity. He, Seto Kaiba; feeling sorry? Yet he saw the sorrow in Ani's eyes; he himself had felt that before. _At least Gardner still had her mother. Don't feel envious of what you don't have…you who have little to want. _

Any other conversations were cut short as feet hurried down the stairs. Tea skidded into the sitting room. Her hair was still wet and hung in disarray. For a second Seto had the urge to run a hand through it and smooth it down. He squashed that feeling immediately. Where the heck had that come from?

"Gardner." His tone was cold, and he'd stood up for better effect.

"Kaiba." Her tone was also chilly, but a faint tinge of red was still in her cheeks. Oh, he'd love to exploit that!

"I caught you off guard, I see." The tinge of red deepened a bit. Usually she'd have a biting comment back. Not today. Then he saw Ani smirking. He doubted it was towards the last comments. He looked where she was pointing, off to the side of Tea.

He looked down at her. Tea was wearing jeans and a tan colored T-Shirt. A fleeting thought passed through that those clothes flattered her figure more than her tight uniform had ever. Of course, the girls' uniforms were downright ugly and in bad taste.

Then he saw what Ani was smirking at. _"Of course she'll grab the first clothes she sees…I must have great foresight..." _

The corners of his mouth twitched. In bright red letters were the words: _Chocolate, Coffee, Men… Some things just come better rich."_

Definitely foresight.

Tea caught his smirk, and look at where he was looking. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flamed brilliantly. If she blushed anymore the house wouldn't need a heater. She'd obviously got the double meaning. At this moment, being a multi-millionaire was the best thing in the world.

Tea opened her mouth to speak, but closed it quickly. Weren't there some set of laws in the United States about the right to keep silent? Japan definitely needed a similar code. One look at her mother confirmed that. _Traitor. Of all the days to pull pranks on m_e.

Finally, she decided she might as well break the silence. Better her than Kaiba. "Do you have my pay check?"

"Why else would I be here? I'm not here for _Japan's Funniest Home Videos_." She blushed again. Behind them he heard Ani mutter, "Dang! I knew I'd forgotten the camera."

"_Mother_! Just…leave, please?" Ani grinned and raised an eyebrow. Her daughter heaved a sigh.

"Remember, sweetie. Laughter's the closest distance between two friends."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Right back atcha, honey."

Seto turned away, embarrassed by their show of affection. No matter how annoyed she was at her mother, it was clear Gardner loved her very much.

"Ummm. Kaiba? My paycheck?" He spun around. She was standing there, still flushed, and hesitant.

Whipping out his checkbook and a pen, he looked at her squarely in the face. "What is your usual rate?"

"I usually charge…seven-hundred yen an hour."

That little? Doing some quick multiplication, he wrote out a figure and made it out to Tea Gardner. Ripping it out, he handed it to her.

"Uh, Kaiba?"

"What?" He snapped.

"You gave me 2000 yen extra."

"Do you have a problem with it?"

"Well…I would be cheating you…"

"Listen, Gardner. When I went to say goodnight to Mokuba last night, all he could talk about was how wonderful you had been, and that he wanted to have you over again. He hasn't spoken about any other nannies or sitters I've had look after him like that before. You must have done a superlative job, because he has high standards as well. Consider this a bonus."

Silence. Seto picked up his briefcase; prepared to leave.

"T-thank you, Kaiba. More than you know." With the money she'd just received, she could cover several months of dance lessons!

He shrugged. "I pay what I owe." Looking at the picture on the coffee table, he faced her; an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Your father." Tea stiffened. "I knew him—one of the only kind friends of my adoptive father. I—I empathize."

Tea stared blankly at him. Then she turned away, her hand reaching up to her face. He saw her take a big breath. When she turned around again, she'd composed herself.

"Thank you," she whispered. He was the first person to ever say that—the most unlikely person to hear a kind word from. "You didn't happen to lose a lot of sleep last night?"

Something fleeted across his lips. "I _am_ capable of feelings other than contempt and competitiveness, Gardner."

Why did she make him feel more susceptible to smiling? Another reason not to hire her in the future. The only problem was he had the sneaking suspicion that Mokuba would never accept a different sitter in his life from now on.

He made his way to the entryway, where Ani was shadowing the stairs. Tea followed dumbly, clutching the check. At the door, he turned and spoke to her mother.

"A pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Gardner. Thank you for your time." There was actually sincerity in his voice. Whether he liked it or not, she was a person who hit rather towards home.

Ani voiced a return. Seto opened the door and paused.

"Gardner."

"Yes?"

A small smile played around his face. "Nice shirt."

The day seemed remarkably cheerful as he strode down to the limo. At least, until he remembered the little nightmare haunting his house. _Note to self:_ _When little brothers make cookies for returning older siblings, confiscate them to place he isn't allowed. _I.e….._where is a place he isn't allowed? I need a new safe…should I make it refrigerated? And remind myself to contact the local officials…we need some to emergency plans if a certain sugar-high individual gets loose in the city…_

* * *

A/N: That's the end of chapter five. Please review! I can't say enough how helpful they are. Especially if there's any constructive criticism or suggestions for future chapters. Hope Seto wasn't too random at the end. One of my goals with this fic is to play out his teenage side; the side that isn't seen too often. It's my formal opinion that there is a kid in us all (no matter the age…but especially teenagers) trying to get out. That's why I chose the title of the fic…but that won't be explained until later. By now, any confusion about Tea's behavior in the attic two chapters ago should be resolved. I can't promise another chapter for a couple of weeks, most likely. Have a good day! Req 


	6. Understandings

Greetings and Happy (almost) New Year! I apologize profusely for having not written for months…I know; it's been hard on me too. But with this week off I have finally been able to write! So I offer you this short chapter—I know it's not much but it seemed to end at the right moment. Please enjoy!

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Finding the Medium

Ch. 6- Chapter 6

Understandings

Monday mornings have been the bane of any student's existence throughout all of history. The inevitable return to school gave a dull and depressing air to the day. Seto would have argued that every school day was a Monday, every minute spent there put him that much behind at KaibaCorp.

This Monday he had…not dreaded of course, but perhaps was anxious about the day's activities. He did not anticipate a welcome reception from his brother—only the previous night Mokuba only discussed one subject: Gardner.

Tea Gardner.

What was it about her that made him reluctant to release her services? Of course he hadn't promised her a long-term job—heck, she was a teenager and had a life, however pathetic it might be.

_But she wasn't pathetic by any means._ Though he loathed changing any opinion of his, she had impressed him with her wit and inner strength. It had been a long time since anyone had had the upper hand on his turf; however, Gardner had sailed into his home left her mark.

No, he couldn't let her stay. Yesterday's visit brought back memories buried deep within: a young boy struggling to support his family and make his way in the world. To burden her with Mokuba would be a cruelty. He could just see her dreams diminishing under the strain.

Mokuba wouldn't forgive him. Nor could he explain why he felt so strongly about this. Hopefully she would understand.

* * *

_Gardner. Please meet me before school on the roof. I will talk with you there. _

The message was still displayed on her phone. How easy it was for him to lapse into that monotonous and irritated voice, she thought. As she took each stair, Tea wondered why he had called her the previous night. All their business had been conducted the previous morning, and he hadn't mentioned anything urgent. In fact…..

Blushing, she remembered yesterday's conversation oh too vividly. For her mother to pull _two_ stunts like that…it would be hard to retaliate to that level. And for Kaiba to witness her almost in her altogether…_don't give him reason to tease you again. Tease? Wow…he's acting nearly _too_ normal. _

However—the way he looked at her when speaking of her dad, it was as if he saw her innermost pain and felt it just as acutely as she had. _Dad_… She couldn't let herself immerse herself into the past. _Chin up and eyes open_, he had always said. _Crying is a perfectly good way to let go of all your frustration and pain. Just do it with grace, and don't let the world think you're ashamed. _

A rush of cold air slapped her in the face as she automatically opened the door to the roof. Blinking furiously, Tea wrapped her flimsy jacket tighter around her torso and wished for the umpteenth time that the school would change uniforms. Walking around the corner, she halted in mid step.

Was this that position called picture-perfect? His side was toward her, giving her the full side-profile, his arms crossed, staring out at the city around him. The blue looked good on him, she noted. Much more refined-looking than the stupid girls' uniforms.

Her foot came down on the pavement half a second later, and his head swiveled over. _Just like an owl'ss; , _resisting the urge to giggle.

"Thank you for coming," Seto had no clue why each time they encountered each other she looked like she was ready to laugh. He stiffened slightly, wishing for the umpteenth time that he was gifted with the art of easy conversation.

"It was no biggie," Tea mentally slapped herself. She couldn't talk like that around him if he were to respect her the way she wished to be.

"Ummm…"

"I believe…you had something to speak to me about?"

"Uh, yes, that…well, you see…" He was getting flustered again. _Just spit it out, Seto! It's just like firing any employee. _Except that it wasn't.

"Mokuba told me last night how much he loved having you watch him, and he doesn't want anyone else ever again." She smiled, her eyes lighting up. "But I asked you here to understand that I don't want you to work for me again."

Tea frowned. What on Earth did he mean? "I don't q-quite follow you."

Seto sighed, spinning ninety degrees and pushing his bangs off his forehead. "I can't…I can't do that to you." He turned again sharply at her. "I have never really felt this way before. I'm quite at a loss…" He shut up that sign of weakness. "I can't force Mokuba on you every day of the week, knowing you have a life and a dream of your own that you want to pursue. A life like that would ruin you…I know. From experience. You lose yourself," he murmured softly.

Daring herself, Tea reached up and put a hand on his upper arm. Seto looked at her, surprised, as if he'd just remembered who she was.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I do understand. Besides, you were kinder than you could have even imagined already. If you ever need me though, you know where to find me. I can handle your brother for a few nights—he's a sweetheart. Just don't go losing yourself, too."

With that, she was gone. Seto stood there, the touch of her hand still lingering. That was unlike them both, he knew. But he felt gratitude. At least someone could understand him. And you couldn't truly lose yourself if there was someone who remembers that you are still there.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. Please let me know what you think (hint, hint). Next chapter should develop off this one, in case anyone felt there was a slight cliffhanger. Hopefully I'll have some time during the next month to write chapter seven. I'm starting to feel on a roll again. However next I need to finish a long overdue chapter of the Importance of Family (my goal is to finish it by this weekend). Please take care! -Req 


	7. Two Interludes

Hi, it's Req again! This chapter was a bit of a surprise—it was only supposed to be a few recollections from Tea and Seto preceding chapter 7's events. Two Interludes took hold of itself and here it is (though it is a short chapter). I am on break so my goal is to write chapter 8 this week as well. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I may not own Tea and Seto, but I do control their destinies….evil laugh

Note: Two Interludes has maturer, slightly darker themes than usual in FM. It is slightly "angst" genre, but I promise I shall return to the lighter side in chapter 8

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Finding the Medium

Chapter 7- Two Interludes

_First Interlude _

Sometimes, the loneliest people in the world are just blind to those around them. Forced into a self-induced exile, they convince themselves that no one is there for them when in reality, all they have to do is knock down the walls of self-containment and reach out to those waiting to grab their hands.

If only one could embrace that simplicity, instead of ignore it. If only one could realize that those waiting on the other side have been chipping away at the wall for years, and it only takes an inner push to send them tumbling down.

If only one could find themselves. For in that instant, that which was unclear is laid out in full spectrum, the obvious path taken. But the road to self-discovery is the most powerful adversary one must overcome, and too often never is.

Seto Kaiba had never faced a challenge he couldn't overcome. He may have lost some skirmishes, but victory had always been his in the long run. Even losing duels to Yugi Mutou over and over, he was confident that he would come out the victor eventually. That was before he and Yugi decided they wouldn't duel again. Even then, he hadn't considered that a defeat, or even a retreat. There were new ventures to accomplish.

When he took over Kaiba Corp, he put himself behind. Not all of him, naturally, but gradually he let the rest slip away. _It was a hindrance_, he had told himself. _You'll be better off without it_. And that was a victory—to rid yourself of all ties to the past and move along in life.

Or was it?

Mokuba's kidnapping brought that query painfully into the light. With the pieces of his soul putting themselves slowly back together, emotions long-forgotten came crashing back: brotherly love, sorrow, fear, and devotion. Had it been in Mokuba's best interests to abandon the past? He doubted so.

But then again, it had happened. Yugi Mutou—and his resident spirit, as he'd come to finally acknowledge, believed in destiny. He preferred to think that everything happened for a reason, because he'd chosen so. Again, that didn't stop the regret.

The right decision wasn't always clear or easy. Daily he tried to prove otherwise, but it wasn't. Now all he could do was live with what he had.

It wasn't until that weekend when Tea Gardner entered his life again that Seto was aware of what he had lost. He saw a glowing ember fall out of the fire, and it teetered on two destinies: it could burn out and fade, or it could catch alight and take everything with it.

He couldn't see the ember fade. History repeats if not learned from. He'd felt justified on the roof that Monday morning letting her leave his family. It was the right decision—it hadn't been easy, but she had understood.

In that minute, he'd been vulnerable. Weak. He likened it to the trip he had taken with Mokuba to Kyoto. They'd fed the deer, and Mokuba had begged to bring one home. For Mokuba he nearly caved. However, as he told Mokuba, they were still wild animals. To bring them into captivity would destroy their free spirit. And rarely was there any beauty in a subdued, enslaved individual.

He wished for Mokuba's sake to let her stay. She made Mokuba happy in the way only he could before. The twinge of jealousy surfaced but affection for his brother crushed it.

Still, she'd understood. The first person ever. In a rudimentary way Mokuba comprehended Seto's struggle, but as his brother his sight was limited. The school he was forced to attend had made him see various psychologists, but that was a waste of time. No, it was Tea Gardner who understood him.

The world thought him cold. No, he was reserved. Impatient with the world at times, yes. It would be a lie to call him cold-hearted now. _She_ saw him struggling, and accepted that. He had no doubt she would try to change that—this _was_ Gardner he was thinking about. However, she didn't take him at face value.

Gardner struggled with her own inner demons—a thought that made Seto slightly happy. He couldn't bear people who were absolutely content with the world _and perky_. They weren't real. He had found Gardner to be a hard-working individual with a past as well. In a way, that made him feel slightly connected to her.

Not only did she make him aware of what he'd lost; he realized that he had regained some of it. He had his emotions back—unfortunately, but he was also grateful. Now he felt guilty for leaving Mokuba at home to go to work, but was happy coming home to a loving brother.

She'd promised to be there for him if he ever needed her. A part of him sneered, saying that she needn't even bother. Another part felt at ease—it was easy to be forgotten when it appears you have everything. He knew that was a lie now. Perfection was impossible—the dark circles under his eyes spoke volumes.

That part of him told him to relax. If there's a light at the end of the path, you can't be far from home. You're not lost anymore.

Perhaps that was why, when they met in the halls, their eyes would meet. There would always be a smile on her face, superficially, but her eyes would tell him what was really going on. And he would understand, and she would see that in his orbs.

Perhaps that was why he would read her promise to him in those eyes every meeting.

Perhaps it was the reason he would nod to her each time, acknowledging her, not as a member of his former rival's group, but as an equal.

She may not have a multi-million dollar company or his brains (though hers were adequate enough) or the same command of respect he had. He knew she had far more compassion, and was loved by all. But their souls…yes, he now believed in souls…met each other, understood each other, and raised the other up.

He hadn't changed at all, or so he thought. Only his perception of human nature had grown and deepened.

Another victory for Seto Kaiba.

* * *

Second Interlude

To Tea, having a smile on her face was just something expected of her. Yes, she was by nature a cheerful girl. She loved life and lived each day as fully as she could. On those days, her smile radiated joy. When she was young, her parents called her Their Little Sunshine, and she had tried to maintain that her whole life.

There were those days when she felt like screaming. None the less, she fixed a smile to her face—a small, wry or sad smile. She was expected to be the source of all joy no matter how depressing the situation was. The cheerleader. Miss Perky.

Most of her friends didn't see past her smile. Oh, Yugi was her dear friend and had been with her through thick and thin, and Joey and Tristan treated her like one of them. However, not much digging beneath the surface occurs when two of your friends have their own family issues to deal with and your best friend had a crush on you (but was too shy to admit it and knew you liked the spirit he shared a body with).

She didn't feel alone, but she did feel overlooked. Even at school, girls would come to her with relationship or school problems and expect her to come up with a solution. Did it ever occur to them that she might be in need of help—was there anyone who would let her come to them with her problems?

At home she enjoyed an easy relationship with her mom. They laughed together, played games and pranks on each other, and were each other's closest confidants. Except when it came to her dad. She could not, would not talk about him. Tea sensed that her mom was concerned about this, wanted to talk to Tea about her dad, but she refused to open up the old wound.

Most of the time she adhered to the promise she made her dad. Nonetheless there were those moments when she wanted to scream at the whole world that it wasn't fair that he was gone; that he wasn't in her life anymore; that it was complete b.s. to be expected to move on, her dad only a distant memory.

Even that was too much. It was much easier to surround herself with fun-loving, energetic people and let herself be swept away.

Serenity was coming the next Saturday to visit, and Tea waited excitedly with the rest of the gang. Serenity nearly lost her sight, but Joey was able to get her the surgery to fix her eyes. Tea believed in miracles still because of people like Serenity.

A miracle couldn't bring her dad back. But it could heal her many-wounded heart. Seto Kaiba had told her once that hope was pointless, but she lived for it.

Kaiba. She felt suddenly closer to him than she'd felt to anyone in a long time. He had given her a gift when he told her that he empathized with her loss. Before, no one her age really understood her. They couldn't see that she assumed a mask to hide her pain—if only to be hid temporarily. These angsty days were few, yet during them she obsessed over her pain.

Kaiba saw through that smile though. They had passed each other earlier today, a day where she had felt her loss keener than others. Their eyes had met, and she fixed a smile on her face. His eyes bore into hers, and she knew he wasn't fooled. Briefly she'd wondered how often he had to assume a mask. His eyes stripped away that superficial defense and saw a glimmer of her pain.

She thought he would have smirked or made a comment. Instead, he nodded. Was it in acceptance of her? That he saw her pain and comprehended it? Or was it that he recognized there seemed to be a random connection between them?

Why Kaiba?

_Why not?_ Her mind reasoned. They both had lost parents. They both had dreams and struggled to support their families. And they understood each other's path was necessary, no matter how much they wished they could change it.

It was funny, she thought, but if she looked in the mirror she wondered if she might see Kaiba. Your reflection is your opposite, yet in reality you share similar characteristics. There was no need to ask who was fairer—in the mirror all was revealed.

As Tea contemplated this, she became aware of warmth attempting to cover her. A ray of sunlight was breaking through the day's earlier cloud cover. She allowed herself to step fully into the light. Glowing, she let herself bask in the sunshine. It seemed to remind her _I'm here. Put all your worries behind you—I'll take care of you. Feel my warmth and embrace me_.

Her anxieties _could_ be shoved back into the dark corner they festered in—in the sunshine it didn't seem long before they could be banished for good. It was rejuvenating.

_A fresh start, at least for now._ That was the ray's silent guarantee. It couldn't purify, but it could cleanse.

For a while, Little Sunshine would have a real smile again.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed chapter 7! Don't forget to review. I was too excited to put this up to get it beta read, so if there are any errors please let me know. Take care- Req


	8. Taking Steps

Hey, it's Req! I'm really excited to be posting my 3rd (!!) update in less than a week! If you knew me and my life, that's really something. Of course, it may help that I'm on vacation, have to take a break from violin, and am sick, but who's counting? Ch. 8 features mainly Mokuba and Ani (the two characters that are way more important than you'd think), and was really fun to write. By the way, if you missed chapter 7, you might want to read it first. As always, I dedicate my work to my dear friend and beta-reader Kisa. Thanks everyone for reading! Please enjoy--

Disclaimer: You know it by now

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Finding the Medium

_Chapter 8—Taking Steps_

Mokuba Kaiba was bored. He was a bright kid; you would think that he would find something to do. However, nothing today could hold his interest for more than five seconds. He had been a "good boy" and done his homework first thing when he got home—a habit he had learned from Tea. If he completed everything as quickly as possible, it made it a lot harder for someone to refuse to play.

Besides, he wasn't staying up late on stupid math homework anymore.

Today was supposed to be a special day: he'd arranged it so that Seto had no meetings after school. It had been easy to see the strain on his brother's face—work was not treating him well. Roland had done most of the calling for Mokuba, but he had been the real genius behind it. After the argument, he was doing everything in his power to get Seto home so there would be no need to hire some new "nursemaid".

_Flashback:_

_Seto was waiting for him Monday afternoon in the limo. Delighted, Mokuba couldn't hold back his excitement. With a shout, he flung his arms around his brother._

_"Seto! Why are you here early? It's okay—I'm really cool with it! I don't have a lot of homework tonight, so we can do something together! What do you want? We could go play at the arcade, or…"_

_"Mokuba." The initial pleasure Seto had displayed seemed buried under formality. "I actually have a meeting tonight, so I came to pick you up so we can have dinner together. I'm not able to secure anyone tonight to watch you, so you're going to have to come with me."_

_"What! But that's not f—what about Tea? She probably could do it. Why didn't you ask her?"_

_Seto seemed to have expected the outburst. Calmly he spoke. "I told Tea today that we wouldn't be requiring her services anymore."_

_Mokuba stiffened. He looked incredulously at his brother. His mind was bursting with objections. Taking a deep breath, he tried to speak normally._

_"What was wrong with her?" Probably not the best question to ask, but he it was the first thing that could come out in a level voice._

_"Nothing."_

_"Then why—why did in hell did you bloody send her away?" Mokuba's anger rose. _

_"Don't swearswear, Mokuba. It's demeaning." The father-like tone sent his blood boiling._

_"So she didn't fit your expectations, your image? Why is this always about you? I like Tea—she's the first sitter to ever treat me as an equal! So we went and did some things you'd normally never let me do—who cares? I was happy with Tea—why does my happiness always get put second?"_

_Seto sighed. "It isn't that."_

_"Then what is it?!" _

_Another sigh. "I don't think you would understand."_

_Mokuba lifted his eyes skywards, imploring the great maker to give him patience. _

_"Try me."_

_"When I was your age, I was struggling to get us out of that orphanage. I didn't want to see us stuck there anymore. I struggled under our stepfather, to defeat him, to make my own place in the world—where we could live without him. _

_Gardner's doing the same thing. She has a dream, and it takes time to accomplish what she wants. Looking after you everyday isn't going to help her one bit, is it? She'd lose heart, trying to watch you and dance. Can you see her losing spirit? I—I refuse to cause another being to become ruined. That's why."_

_Mokuba was quiet. Finally he nodded. "Thank you."_

_Seto gave off an aura of surprise. "For what?"_

_"For thinking of her first. I—I was wrong to think you were heartless. But you're not. To see you caring about people makes…it makes me be a little more tolerant of what you have to go through. But is it really necessary for me to have someone be my nursemaid? I mean, I'm practically a teenager. And it's not like I'm alone."_

_"I don't want you getting hurt. It makes me feel better when there's someone who can look after you while I'm at work."_

_"Then come home earlier! You can do _some _work here at home, right? And the servants are here; I can be with them!"_

_Seto considered. "I suppose so. As long as I can be there, you won't need somebody else. Deal?"_

_"Deal!" And they shook hands. _

_End flashback. _

So much for a free evening. Seto called saying that an emergency had popped up that would require him to be there for hours. Why couldn't anything seem to go right for him?

And Tea couldn't be here to cheer him up.

_But he could go to her, couldn't he? _

The thought blossomed in his mind, astounding him with its simplicity. He knew she would be home. If he could just hang out, talk a bit, have some _real_ company, he would feel much better. And it wouldn't be like he was making her look after him—_well_, part of his brain pointed out, _you'd still be imposing._

True, but wouldn't it be interesting to just see where she lived, and maybe…_no, definitely,_ she'd have an idea of what he could do. Besides, he was lonely.

Yeah. That was an idea! Now all he had to do was get directions, coax Okudo into taking him (not a hard task) and leave a note. He needn't mention names—just "visiting a friend" would suffice. Turning off his cell phone seemed a good idea also. Just in case a certain individual got too nosy…

And now he found himself in his limo, a small figure in the back seat. It struck him again how lonely he felt. With Seto gone so much of the time now, he felt static, stuck in the same place. The servants kept a respectful distance; there would be no companionship from them.

He had felt at home with Tea, like she was another sibling. He didn't think she had any brothers or sisters, so he was more determined to be one to her. She was pretty, innovative, smart, and humorous. A tiny thought crossed his mind that he should set her up with his brother (so that she'd be his _real_ sister), and he gave a tiny chuckle.

Wouldn't _that_ be some project? All it needed was a little effort from him and a few cohorts and let nature do the rest…

Then again, Seto was a little lacking in the relationship category. Better to ease him into the unknown territory of friendship and romance than slap him in the face with it. It would actually be healthy, subjecting Seto to brain chemistry. Perhaps Seto might take some more time off work if he had someone to be with... 

A somewhat malicious grin spread across his face. A long term project. Yes—that sounded invigorating.

"Master Mokuba," Okudo's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Yes, Okudo?"

"We've arrived at the Gardner residence."

"Thank you, Okudo. Please wait here for an hour or so. And don't inform my brother of my whereabouts."

Okudo's voice actually sounded disappointed. "Whatever you wish, Master Mokuba."

Stepping out of the limo, Mokuba stared at the houses in front of him. They were so small! He knew of course that his residence was atypical for the average family, but even he expected something larger. Perhaps the apartment-style buildings diminished the outward appearance.

Tea's house occupied the corner of the block. Painted a clay-like yellow, it reminded him of the townhouse style with the multiple stories. Unlike the rest of the street that housed mere clones of the first building, it looked alive, homey.

Like Seto's visit days before, the tiny garden charmed the observer with its simple attempts at beauty. The dwarf Sakura tree's leaves hinted at the winter to come, but the roses still bloomed with that stubborn faith in their longevity. Today, however, the garden housed another beauty…

"Tea!" Mokuba shouted, running towards the figure on her knees amidst the roses. The brunette's head rose, hedge trimmers in hand, and her green eyes widened in confusion. In a moment though, Tea's brilliant smile graced her face.

"Oh!" he froze. This wasn't Tea! She looked uncannily like Tea except for the eyes, which were emerald green instead of sapphire blue.

"Sorry," he blushed. How embarrassing! He didn't know who this woman was, although his suspicions were arising. Tea had never mentioned her mother before, but unless he was mistaken—

"Mokuba." The woman decided. "You must be Mokuba Kaiba! I swear you share the same nose as your brother. It looks more mischievous on you than him, I'm afraid. I think it adds to your character, though." She paused mid-ramble. "Oh, sorry! Forgive me, my artistic mind is running away with itself. I'm Ani Gardner. Tea's mother."

"Hi!" Mokuba already liked Ani, he decided. "I'm sorry, I thought you were Tea. You look like her a lot."

Ani laughed. "Your brother made the same mistake, though not vocally of course."

Mokuba frowned, confused. "What do you mean—Seto was here?" he asked incredulously.

"Sunday," Ani affirmed. "He had to deliver a check to my daughter—oh! He and I got her sooo good." Her eyes crinkled in amusement.

"Umm. What do you mean, 'got her good'" How was it that his brother, the anti-social, people-aren't-worth-my-time brother, had got mixed up with Tea's family affairs?

"It's just a little game we play; we try to outdo each other with pranks. Your brother had no idea what I was up to but he took advantage of it and got her worse than I did!" She shook her head. "Tea hasn't come up with a comeback yet. I can't tell if she's biding her time or is just stuck."

Mokuba smiled. He saw where Tea's energy came from—Ani Gardner was a fireball, he was sure. "Is Tea here?"

Ani's eyes were knowing. "Ahh. I thought that would be the reason. No, she's at dance. She'll be returning in a half-hour or so, though, if you'd like to wait..."

Mokuba's heart sank. "I wouldn't want to impose, so could—"

"Don't accuse yourself of imposing! Come in and have some tea. You look like you need a sabbatical from whatever you were doing," Ani scanned him up and down. This boy wouldn't come unless he was in need of somebody's companionship. From what her daughter had said about him, he was an energetic boy trying his best not to grow up too fast. Being lonely would set him on that path faster than any other method.

Standing up, she pulled off the old gloves she was wearing and tossed them in a nearby bucket. Walking towards the door, she turned around, her gaze expectant. "What are you standing there for? Wasted time is wasted life."

The happiness that effused on the boy's face nearly brought tears to her eyes. To have no father was a horrible thing. To have no mother—she shuddered with the thought. It was time that somebody started being a mother to those two boys.

Mokuba trailed in after her, after giving the okay sign to Okudo. Inside, the house was nothing spectacular until he saw Tea's portrait.

"Wow" he breathed. Ani heard his intake of air and smiled at that ever-present sense of de ja vu surrounding the painting. "So you're an artist?" he asked.

Ani nodded. "Would you like to see my studio after tea?"

Mokuba's enthusiasm grew. "Yeah! I've never met a real artist before."

The soft, pealing laugh grazed the surface of his awareness. "Mokuba. What do you define as art?"

His brow furrowed. "Well…paintings. Statues. Drawing stuff."

"That's only one instrument of art. Art is the truth each of us sees. Whether it is an explanation of human nature, your feelings, or just the way you see something, we tell our truth through art. Everyone is an artist in his or her own right. We create art just by shaping our life's journey, and by choosing a medium to portray our view of truth. You, your brother, Tea, me—we're all artists."

"But I'm no good at art!"

"Then are you no good at life?"

_Silence_. "Well, no—"

"Mokuba. Art _is _life. Never say you are no good at life…as a visual artist I make it my duty to portray the world as I see it, life as I see it. Saying you are no good at life is a lie—the worst lie of them all. If you can live in this world and accept it, yourself, and life in general, you are automatically an artist.

He gave a nervous laugh. "This is a little deep for me."

Ani rested a hand on his shoulder. "Give it some time. Besides, you don't always have to choose your passion at a young age. It took me a long time to decide that I wanted to be a professional artist. My parents wanted me to be an engineer instead."

"Really? I can't see you as one."

"Hmm. Neither can I. How about that tea?"

* * *

Mokuba found himself sitting across from Ani at a square, mahogany table. The wood was old and polished to a shine on the top. Underneath however, his hands met lines and ridges. Looking under the table, he found it cut into with words. When asking Ani about it, he received unsurprisingly another chuckle. 

"It's piece I did in college, when I was rebelling against my parents and the older generation in general. We were required to do some woodworking that semester and incorporate it into our social interpretation class. I found this beautiful piece of mahogany, and took it around to all my friends, asking them to cut a message into the underside, mostly regarding their views on life and politics.

Then I polished the other side—it's supposed to represent how our lives, especially our family relationships appear polished, but the core of family actually is cut rough with rebellion and free speech.

At least, that's what I told my college professors. Mostly, it was just fun to make with friends."

The two laughed together. It surprised Mokuba how easy it was to get along with Tea's mother. He didn't feel like a stranger in this house, with this laid back artist of a mom.

In the spirit of the confessions, he leaned forward. "I like to ballroom dance." He said really fast.

It was a credit to Ani—she didn't laugh. "Really," she prompted him to continue.

"It was Seto's fault—he forced me to take lessons for some events we were required to attend. Seto likes the Latin dances—and so do I. He doesn't know I like them though. Did Tea tell you?" She didn't seem much surprised.

"No, actually. It's understandable that you'd need to learn how to dance, and that you'd love the Salsa, and the Cha Cha, and the Tango."

"I don't know the Tango," he admitted.

"You should ask Tea, she used to dance it all the time with Kanomi."

"Yeah! She promised to teach me it—who's Kanomi?"

"Tea's father."

"She's never mentioned him—or you, for the matter." Mokuba sat puzzling over this new information.

Ani gave a small sigh, and he looked up quick enough to see sadness in her eyes. "Somehow I'm not surprised. One question leads to another, and Tea doesn't like answering those," she whispered.

Standing up, her eyes became somewhat cheerful again. "Would you like more tea, or should we visit the studio?"

If he had anymore tea, he thought he would burst. Getting up, he followed her through the kitchen to the back door, which should have led to the outside. Instead, he walked into a room of sunlight. The addition was small, about 11 ft by 15 ft. The wood walls were stained brown up to three feet from the floor, than giant windows commandeered the remaining height.

The studio gave off a cluttered but casual feeling. A small wood stove stood in one corner, a sole iron being in a world of canvases and paints. Shelves lined the bottom parts of the walls, filled with frames and canvases. A desk and easel were both in use, and an armchair sat slightly behind the easel on the large tarp covering the floor.

Mokuba gaped as he walked in. "You painted all these?"

There were landscapes; people; animals, buildings. Oceans; little girls; old men playing chess; and fishes. A random glance across the shelves left the eyes blurred with ubiquitous images and starred with color. No painting was identical; each had vividness and a sense of realism—each unique.

He wandered in, eyes bouncing off various canvases. "You're amazing!"

Ani smiled. "Thank you. Would you like to see one of my recent studies?" She steered him towards her easel. The canvas sitting there lay half-finished. Completely in blacks, whites, and grays, it showed the silhouette of a man sitting on a bench, sleeping.

Mokuba leaned close. "Is it sunny?" he asked hesitantly.

Ani laughed delightedly. "I was hoping someone would catch that! Yes, it was sunny that day. This is my Silhouette Study—I'm painting city scenes in black and white. _Everything_—including the weather. If you use a white tint and add gray texture lines, you get that curtain of light effect. It's a rather challenging process, but very satisfying."

"How many of these have you done?" it fascinated him. The light and shadow in the canvas was so realistic, he felt transported to a black and white world.

"About five. It takes me about a day to draw it out and make lots of notes about how the light and shadows work then the rest of the week to finish. It would be faster except I'm doing the Silhouette's antithesis for my other study."

"Do you sell these all?"

"Only the real good ones. Oh yes, not all of these are gallery-quality," she confirmed to his outraged expression. "I work part-time at the gallery I show at, so I work closely with the owner on what to show and sell. Occasionally, ones like Tea's portrait I keep for sentimental value."

"Could—could you paint something I ask you to paint someday?" He asked slowly. "I'll pay for it—even if I have to give up video games for a year."

"It depends on what you ask me to paint." Her eyes were crinkling. He knew he must sound like a paradox, that mixture of boy and adult in plain sight. He whispered the subjects into her ear. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she turned thoughtfully at the boy.

"If you can present me with a moment, where they are willing to be together…I'll do what I can. They need not know what I am doing, but since we both have an interest in this…"

Mokuba nodded, inwardly holding his glee.

"Mokuba. They have to be willing. I won't paint reluctance—not for the type of portrait you ask for."

"I'll do what I must. And thank you."

From a distance, they heard the front door open and close. Ani lifted her head in recognition. "Tea's home. She'll be coming back here in a moment to check on me."

A thud hit the floor in the kitchen, as Tea's bags dropped. The water faucet turned on and off, and soon enough, Tea came ambling back to the studio, a glass of water in her hand.

"Hey Mom—Mokuba! I thought you had a guest from the gallery. What are you doing here, Mokuba?"

"Hey! I came to see you—but your mom invited me in for tea. Thanks for showing me the studio, Mrs. Gardner."

"It's Ani."

"Okay! Yeah, so I missed you this week. I wish Seto hadn't given you notice—you were the best sitter ever."

Tea smiled, her heart warming away surprise. "Thanks. I understand why your brother did what he did—" She paused, and scrutinized him. "He didn't come home early, did he?" she asked softly. Behind them, Ani was sitting at her desk, noting something in a leather-bound journal.

Mokuba shook his head. "I—I was lonely. I didn't know what to do so I came here. Sorry to be an inconvenience."

Ani raised her head at that. "You weren't an inconvenience at all!" she protested. "I enjoyed having company."

Tea made eye contact with her mother, and through telepathic agreement nodded. "If you need to find a place, just come on over."

"What!" he spun around to look at Ani, then back at Tea. "But—your work. I don't want to disturb you from painting. Or you—with homework."

"Do you see that chair?" Ani nodded toward it. "Tea sits in that when she wants to sit with me while I paint. You can do the same. In fact, when she's here we'll bring in a second chair. The fact is, you're not an inconvenience here on our turf. We'll do what we need to do, and we're used to multi-tasking—at least with homework," she gave the stern eye to Tea, who giggled. "So either bring something to do or some interesting conversation, or we'll give you both. Deal?'

Mokuba remembered a deal he'd made days ago. He assured himself that Seto would keep his end of the bargain as best he could, but he knew he could count on the Gardners. As he took Ani's hand and shook on it, he smiled.

Deals work two ways, and benefit both parties. Time he did his contribution.

"Tea, you remember those cookies we made together?"

A devious grin spread on both faces. "Yes," she replied.

"They were really good. Can—can I make some for you, while you do your homework? I promise not to eat any till I get home…"

Laughing, Tea took his hand and led him to the kitchen. "Maybe not _those_ cookies. I've heard stories…"

Ani watched the two of them go. One Kaiba down…she felt sure that the second one could be ensnared too. She decided that she'd let her daughter do the work—Tea needed a man in her life to fill the empty space in her heart. If needed, she would take steps.

Remembering Mokuba's request, she chuckled. Deals worked two ways and benefited both parties.

_Watch out, Seto Kaiba. I think you are in just as much danger as your brother is now…of becoming part of our family._

Little did Mokuba Kaiba know he had enlisted his first cohort…

* * *

I hope you enjoyed chapter 8! Please review! I love reviews--but include some criticism, please! Thanks for reading once again. This may be the last update for a while--I have to work on Importance of Family and March is the bigwig music month. I'll work as fast and hard as I can though. take care- Req 


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